Short Stories and Snow Spirits
by To the Redwoods
Summary: Sometimes dark spirits resurface after centuries of dormancy. Imagination can grow too big and and for Poppy that meant Jack Frost, and the upsetting of an ancient balance and group of terrible ancient spirits. When the spirits of the High Council reawakens, the Guardians rally together to protect a girl with an imagination that's far too big for her own good.
1. Chapter 1

_A/N: So oops this happened because I'm sick of reading the same story where pitch comes back over and over so new spirits abound, soon i promise. heres obligatory introduction chapter. please leave me comments.. um yadda yadda. welcoming myself to this community._

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The first time she saw him was the very first time Poppy built a snowman, or saw snow for that matter. Her mom had moved them to the outer laying area around Lake Tahoe to get away from the bustle of city living. They had been living in San Francisco in a high rise apartment until she had just turned seven and the death of her father had brought them out into the heavily wooded countryside. On their first night in the woods it snowed until a thick quilt of the white fluff covered the ground. She had watched the grey clouds roll in through the trees, and slowly the snow began to fall until it weighed down the branches all around the small cabin.

"Please can I go play in it Mom. Please, please.." Poppy had begged and begged until her mother finally conceded and slipped on her rain boots and her coat.

"Be careful though and don't go far okay? Jack Frost will make sure you're nice and cold out there." Her mother had told her as she zipped Poppy's coat up.

"Who's that?"

Her mom pinched her nose. "He brings the snow, and he'll nip at your nose if you're not wrapped up tight."

With a laugh, the girl had run out into the snowy evening. She kicked at the white powder and threw it into the air so it could fall down on her. She had struggled to roll up the snow into balls and stacked them up on one another. She stood back to admire her half built, lopsided snow man.

"Not bad for a first timer." A voice made her look up to the trees but the branches were empty except for a chilled breeze. "Little bit lopsided there kiddo, but word is you moved from the city. I can work with that."

Poppy ignored the voice as it got a little bit closer. There must have been someone talking about her nearby. She patched up one side and then the other before standing back and setting her hands on her hips. A chilled breeze whipped around her. It pulled at her hair and clothes. She looked up to the sky with a grin as a flurry of snowflakes touched at her face. When she turned back to her snowman, the wind had wound itself around the lumpy surfaces and smoothed them out with a whirlwind of snowflakes. With wonder, she heard an echoing laugh disappear into the sky. A single snowflake hit her nose like a painful nip.

"Jack Frost?" Poppy breathed. "Jack Frost fixed my snowman!" She ran back towards her house. "Mama! Mama! Jack Frost was here!"

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It was a long time after that before she thought about Jack Frost again. Poppy had always been a girl with her head in the clouds. She would rather daydream about fairies and her imaginary friends then pay attention to math class. All through middle school she was ridiculed for her reluctant belief in the Tooth Fairy and Santa Clause, but it was in her nature to believe in the impossible and nothing her friends told her made her stop thinking about the magic that she was sure existed in the shadows. She had a massive imagination that was always running away from her and there was very little that could ever rein it in. She barely graduated from high school as she was more occupied with creative writing and myths than math and science.

Everything came to a head when Poppy turned 22. She was a creative writing major currently dreaming her way through junior college in the redwoods near Tahoe, where the snow always stuck around too long. Most of the time she was scribbling out ideas in the shade of a big tree, except in the wintertime when she was always sitting wrapped in a blanket on the porch of her mom's cabin reading short stories.

Her friends told her she was too old to still believe the way she did and she only laughed and told them they were jealous. Her mother was getting older, and she was worried one day she would be alone in the small cabin in the woods, but until that day came her mom would support her in every way she could. She was the only family that Poppy had and she spent almost all her time in the study of their cabin in the woods.

"Come inside hon, or Jack Frost will get you." Her mom's tired voice came as she poked her head out the back door.

Poppy had been scribbling on the porch in a beat up old journal she'd had for far too long. Her eyes were glued to the tree line, where she had seen a squirming line of black sand creeping across the snow. The girl stood slowly and squinted into the shadows. "I don't think it's Jack Frost I need to worry about Mom.."

"What did you say? You're mumbling again sweetie. Come on inside, your dinner is getting cold!"

"Everything is getting cold. I'll be right back Mom." She slipped the slippers that were sitting under her wooden bench, before stumbling to her feet. In a rush, Poppy ran into the trees with the blanket wrapped around her slim shoulders.

The bare branches above her rattled against one another with a breeze and a snow flurry carried along with it. Poppy looked up as a blur of sky blue raced through the trees. Her breath puffed out through her nose when she skidded to a stop on a small clearing. There was no other light aside from the huge full moon casting a ghostly pale light over the trees. A thin young man stood, prodding at what appeared to be the black sand she had been following, frozen in a wave against the dirt.

"What was that?" Poppy asked the stranger breathily.

He jumped and slipped on the ice before turning to her. "You snuck up on me. Where did you come from?" He asked more to himself than to her. He had wide blue eyes that looked her over critically and a head of shocking white hair that he shook a few snowflakes out of with his long fingers.

She turned and pointed back through the trees. "My Mom's house is just back that way. I was following the sand-"

The young man turned back over his shoulder with a start. "You're talking to me aren't you?" He seemed to float forward to peer at her carefully through his spidery white eyelashes. "And you saw that sand? And you can see me too? How old are you? Usually only kids can see me."

"Twenty two.." Poppy stole a glance over her shoulder. Coldness wrapped around her shoulders as he leaned in close to her. His skin glistened like ice in the silvery moonlight. "Are you the Spirit of Winter or something? What do you mean see you? You're solid as anyone I've ever seen. Were you uh, flying back there?"

He laughed and set his bare feet down in the snow. "I guess you could say that." He leaned up against his staff. "What's your name? You look vaguely familiar."

"Poppy." She blinked and her breath puffed out of her nose. "And you didn't answer my question. What do you mean only kids can see you?"

"That's a secret." He winked. A look of understanding dawned on his face and he smiled. "You're that kid who built the lumpy snow man, aren't you? That was your first one, wasn't it? Have you gotten any better since then?"

Poppy narrowed her gaze with a small smile. "Jack Frost. You helped me that day, I saw you standing in that clearing. You're Jack Frost."

"That's my name, don't wear it out." He quipped back. Jack turned on his heel with a sparkling grin on his face and made his way back to examine the frozen sand. He squatted down and ran one of his long fingers over the frozen ridges with his staff resting on one shoulder.

She crept forward to look over his slim shoulders, pulling her thick knit blanket tighter around her shoulders. "What is it Jack?"

He looked up. "Nightmare sand."

"Nightmare sand." She tested the title out on her tongue. "Where did it come from?"

Jack opened his mouth when Poppy's mother's voice came from somewhere between the trees. "Looks like someone is looking for you, crazy girl." He stood in a flourish of snow and freezing wind. "Better run along little mousy. Before you freeze to death."

Poppy searched his strange, bright face. "Will you be around? I mean, I have a million questions and it'd be nice to you know.. Have someone to talk to."

Jack laughed. "I'll meet you here tomorrow then Poppy, if that's what you want. I can answer any question you have. That is, only if you promise to be dressed for something other than bed time." He added with a wink, pointing down to her slippers. "I have a few questions of my own anyway."

She hesitated as she backed up a few steps. "You'll actually be here? I refuse to leave unless you promise me."

"Does this look like a face that would ever lie to you?" Jack gave her an innocent smile.

"Okay deal." She held out her hand for him to shake. He hesitated and wrapped his long fingers around hers. It was like an electric jolt through her body when their skin touched and she looked up into his bright eyes. He was smiling, if not with a slightly guarded expression, and she only stuttered out a breath. His icy hand was solid in hers and she searched his face. "You really are real aren't you? Not just my imagination?"

"Real enough anyway." He squeezed her hand gently. "Promise I'll be here tomorrow."

She hesitated before releasing his hand, but did eventually and nodded. With that Poppy ran back to her house. Her mom pulled her inside with a worried look.

"I'm sorry I thought I saw something." She explained quickly as she slipped inside.

Her mom searched her face worriedly. "Was it anything? You're freezing cold sweetheart. Come on and let me make you some hot coco. Tell me what you're thinking about writing next."

"No it was just a weird shadow, some kinda animal or something. Stories? I'm not positive, but I have a few ideas about the snow."


	2. Chapter 2

_A/N: Dont mind me. just keeping on keeping on_

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Poppy stood in the clearing the next day at the exact same time, wrapped up in almost all the sweaters and scarves she owned. Her dark orange scarf was pulled up over her nose and mouth, to ward off the wind chill in the clearing and although she had a thick wool beanie on over her pixie short hair, her thick hood was pulled up over her ears as well. She shifted back and forth from one boot to the next and stole a glance at her phone. Jack Frost was late. She crossed her arms and let out a long breath. Her gaze turned up to the sky.

"Woah, look at you. Right on time aren't you?" The voice came along with a gust of wind and snowflakes as the snowy young man landed in the branches above her head. He hopped down with another whirlwind of snow and landed lightly on the snowy ground in front of her. "I'm usually not. In fact fashionably late is sorta my thing." He set his staff on the ground next to his bare feet and shook out his hair with his free hand. "And look! You're in a real coat and everything. I am thoroughly impressed with you, crazy girl."

Poppy pulled her scarf down from her mouth and searched his pale face carefully as she crept towards him. She took a few steps around his back, examining his frost bitten hoodie and snowy white hair. He turned, raising one of his eyebrows curiously.

"Yes?" He asked with a quiet laugh.

She cleared her throat before picking up his pale hand in hers. She looked up at his smiling face. "You're still real?"

"Still real." He laughed out loud. "Now, what do you want to know? I have some questions of my own for you. So, how about we play a game?" He took a few long steps around her, like she had done to him only seconds before. He tapped his staff against the ground absent mindedly as he spoke, creating a swirling frost pattern on the frozen dirt. "Twenty questions. Then you can get to know me, and I can get to know you." He bent to look into her eyes with a playful smile on his face as he rounded her shoulders. "How does that sound Poppy?"

She shook his hand, which she still held tightly in hers with a smile. "Deal!"

Several hours later, Poppy knew a little bit more about the snowy spirit. It wasn't enough, she soon found that the more he told her only made her want to know about him, but what he had told her was a solid start. Besides, there was only so much she could think to ask at a time. When it became clear they would be in the cold for a while, she had run back to her house and grabbed a thick blanket to spread out on the frozen ground so they could sit side by side against a frost covered tree. Jack leaned his staff against the bark and criss-crossed his legs close at her side.

"Tell me more Jack." She set her chin on her hands and her elbows on her knees.

He grinned. "As you wish."

He was Jack Frost, formally living but currently dead. Usually only kids could see him because he was one of the Guardians of Childhood, and normally only kids believed in legends like him. Along with Santa Clause, the Tooth Fairy and the Easter Bunny, who he insisted were all as real as he was. He was incredibly intelligent and well spoken, despite the constant edge of sarcasm in the tone of his voice. In return for everything he told her about himself, she told him about her wild imagination. She told him about her creative writing and all her short stories and her stubborn belief in fantasy and magic that had always lead to being bullied in middle school. She told him truths about her dead father who she never spoke to anyone else about, and who she had been immeasurably close to. About moving to Tahoe, about her hopes for the future and anything and everything else that came to mind. Jack always responded with enthusiasm, excitement, and curiosity about her writing and past and imagination.

They met like that every day. On days when she had class she would try and focus on her lectures until she could rush back to the forest and her frost spirit. They would sit with their knees and shoulders bumping together for hours, sometimes until the sun went down and she was shivering and he forced her back inside her heated cabin with a huge grin. He pushed her up through the doorframe until she stumbled inside and made him promise he would meet her again the next day. It became clear incredibly fast that Poppy couldn't imagine life without Jack Frost.

One day before she rushed to meet her snowy companion, Poppy made a trip to the library. She checked out a small pile of books full of legends and spirits with the intention of asking Jack about each of them, but realized how long it had taken and left in a rush. When she finally slipped into the icy clearing, Jack was already waiting for her with an impatient look on his face.

"Hey there you are!" He looked only slightly worried. "I was starting to get worried that you weren't gonna show this time."

Her eyebrows knit together. "No way! I can't imagine life without you Jack!" She cleared her throat awkwardly when his cheeks flushed light pink at the words that had tumbled out of her mouth. "I just made a pit stop at the library." She pulled out a few books about legends she had brought in her backpack.

"That's supposed to be me?" Jack closed one of his eyes and held the illustration critically up to his face. "I'm barely a day over three hundred. This man looks ancient." He narrowed his sparkling gaze. "This is just offensive. Look at his shoes." He curled his lip in disgust. "No shoes ever. Don't these authors know anything?"

"I thought you might like it. My mom used to tell me these stories all the time. It's like fate that we met." Poppy looked down to her hands. "Don't you think? We're almost made for each other."

Jack's crystal eyes met hers and he gave her a smile. "You could say that."

"Did you say you were three hundred just now? You can't really be three hundred. Can you?"

He laughed.

And so they met like that, every day for the next month or so. She would rush out after class or work to meet with Jack and he would always be fashionably late. He always had new stories to tell her and magic tricks. He told her about the world from the sky, the spirits she had never even heard of, and all the fantastic things he had seen. She didn't have nearly as many stories to exchange but she had a head that yearned for anything that left his mouth.

He told her about the past and places she had only dreamt of. He wove her stories of nightmares he and the other Guardians had faced as well as joyous stories of people he'd met all around the world. Months passed and it became normal for her to meet the icy spirit in the clearing and she soon couldn't imagine life without him.


	3. Chapter 3

_A/N: Leave me reviews. Please._

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Winter went by thankfully slow. Jack made sure snow and ice stuck around long into the beginning of March and as a result she tried to live a somewhat normal life around Jack Frost. Normal unfortunately meant class for Poppy during the weekday mornings, and reading homework in the evenings. She still made time to sit on the porch or in the clearing with her snow spirit, and even if she had homework, he would be there with her asking quiet questions or humming quietly at her side.

One particularly frigid Wednesday afternoon, Poppy was wrapped up in a thick scarf, a hat, her warmest coat and gloves to try and keep the cold wind out as she made the trek from her warm creative writing classroom to her car in the parking lot across campus. A freezing wind kicked up some ice from the partially frozen asphalt under her boots. She shivered and pulled her coat in tighter around her slim waste. Her shaking hands caused her keys to sleep between her gloved fingers as she brought them up to unlock her door.

"Come on." Poppy muttered.

Before her keys could hit the ground, an inky tentacle of black sand looped itself through the key ring and pulled them under her car. Poppy jumped and slipped on the ice and onto her back. She shifted her scarf out of her eyes to watch her keys be pulled out along the asphalt of the parking lot and into the frosted trees.

"Nightmare sand?" She pushed herself onto her hands and knees then slipped around the tail end of her car where she sat back on her heels and leaned up against her bumper with narrowed eyes. The black tentacle of sand disappeared into the shadows of the trees at the edge of the parking lot.

"No wait, I need those." She set her backpack against the wheel of her car and slipped across the parking lot, past a group of people and into the thick redwood trees. Poppy lost the shadowy sand against the dark earth and frost bitten leaves. "What do you want with those anyway? Are you driving a car somewhere? Bring those back." She let out an exasperated huff as she skidded to a stop in a clearing. "Hello?" She shouted into the trees.

"Who are you?" A voice whispered from the shadows. "You're interfering, child. I want to know why?"

Poppy jumped and narrowed her gaze into the shadows. "Interfering? With what exactly?"

A tall skeletal man stepped from the shadows. A scarlet ribbon was tied in front of his eyes and a long black cloak was draped over his shoulders. In one thin hand, he held a small golden scale. "How old are you girl? You're not what I was expecting to find here."

"Twenty three.." She stuttered as she took a hesitant step backwards. "Who are you and what do you want?"

He sighed and took another few steps towards her. "The Guardians won't ignore you for much longer. I am Justice, of the High Council. We are collecting those who would upset the balance." She took a few steps back as the back sand wrapped around his shoulders and dropped her keys into his scale. "How did you come to meet Jack Frost girl." He picked up the car keys in a pair of emaciated fingers. "The boy has been causing trouble with the mortal world as of late. Upsetting the natural order."

"I don't know if I should tell you." She set her jaw and clenched her gloved hands.

His face twisted into a snarl. "Bold human. Too bold of you. You'll regret standing up to me."

Poppy watched the black sand shift around Justice with a wide shivering gaze. She couldn't outrun the menacing sand, and there was no way she could fight back. She took a half step backwards. The only option was to try and run. As the sand curled around Justice and she tensed up to flee, a gust of wind made her close her eyes as a few snowflakes wrapped around her shoulders and Justice growled.

"Hands off." Jacks voice came along with the freezing wind that always marked his arrival. With a flick of his staff, ice froze the sand around the menacing spirit before them. "Who are you and why are you threatening my friend? You have no right at all." He held out an arm to keep Poppy safely behind him. "He didn't touch you right? Everything alright?"

"No I'm fine." She whispered breathlessly. "Fashionably late as always."

"Jack Frost." Justice grinned through sharp teeth. "Just the man we've been looking for. Care to chat?"

The winter spirit held out his staff and narrowed his gaze at the strange man. "Stay behind me Poppy. Who are you? I won't ask again."

"You may call me Justice of the High Council. Your Guardians will know who I am. I must ask, since when is it acceptable to reveal yourself to an adult human." He stepped forward and Jack stepped back. "In my experience, there has never been a time when something like this is within the norm. It is outside the natural order. Against the rules and therefore is forbidden."

"You think he did this on purpose?" Poppy grabbed onto the back of Jack's sweatshirt, which caused him to flinch. "I saw him on accident when I saw that sand the first time." She pointed at the shifting black behind him. "I'm not going to stop seeing my friend because you say it's against some old rules-"

"Hold your tongue or I will hold it for you. Mortality has no place here." The strange spirit hissed dangerously. "Jack Frost. I am bringing you before the High Council under the crime of upsetting the balances. You will be sentenced and imprisoned where you will face punishment for you crimes-"

"Time to go." Jack whipped ice into the air with a quick twirl of his staff. He turned to her and took hold of her elbows with a huge grin. "Hold on tight to me and don't let go no matter what."

"Tight to what-" Her arms wound themselves around his waist hesitantly. She had never held him before and his chilled skin took her breath away. Not because of the ice but because it was like the electric buzz that happened the first time their skin had touched. Before she could say anything else to him, the North Wind whipped them into the sky.

"Don't look down Poppy." He muttered into her hair and wrapped one of his long arms around her shoulders, as all the sudden they were upside down and she was laying on his chest. Wind whipped around her, roaring in her ears. She could barely hear his laughter over the roar in her ears. "You just hold on as tight as you can to me and don't focus on anything else."

"Oh I won't let go. I can promise you that." Her fingers were white, knotted against his icy sweatshirt, as his bubbling laughter rang out through the clouds. It was a solid twenty seconds before she peeked up at him. His head was tilted back so he could see where he was going and nothing but clouds and snowflakes surrounded them on either side. His pale skin was ghostly and haunting in the filtered sunlight. He was all delicate lines and fragile skin. It took a while of her staring at the skin stretched over his neck for her to remember he was the only thing keeping them in the air. "Holy shit, we're flying. I hope you know where you're doing Jack."

"Hey, 'bout time you noticed! You better watch that mouth of yours." He laughed out loud again and peeked down at her. "We're going somewhere where he can't follow us and we can get you some help, but you can't be talking like that you get me?"

"Which is where exactly?"

"Just keep holding on tight!" In a rush, his hand wrapped around her back. They dove downwards and through the clouds and in through a skylight in a rush. The ground was a solid relief when they touched down in a huge shadowy room. Jack made sure she was steady on her knees before he let her go and she fell to her knees.

"Oh my god, oh my god." She held a hand over her thundering heart and let herself collapse onto the tiled floor beneath her. Her head was spinning, but she could hear something moving behind her. She tried to focus on Jack, who skipped to the edge of the space they had landed in where there was a thick wood railing and hopped up on top of it. "Jack where are we? Don't leave me alone."

"Just stay put. Hey North!" Jack called into the dark space. His clear voice echoed into the shadowy room.

Poppy blinked up at him, practically glowing in the darkened room. She turned and looked back over her shoulder as the shuffling sound got louder and closer to her. Out of the shadows a giant form appeared and then a second and a third. " Um, Jack.."

"Yeah in a sec. North are you here?" He floated above the banister with a whirlwind of snowflakes. "Come on man we need help!"

The giant creatures lurked towards Poppy and she struggled to stand. "Jack what are they?"

"What are what?" He still was floating up towards the top of the cavernous room with his eyes on a giant globe covered in twinkling lights. He turned back over his shoulder and rushed back to her side. "No, no, no guys. This is a friend! Don't you take her anywhere, understand?"

She scrambled to his bare feet and wrapped her fingers around his leg. "Don't let them take me. What are they?"

"Relax, they just make the toys." He knelt beside her with a laugh and set his hand lightly on her neck. "Well and sorta guard the area. But they won't hurt you."

"What do you mean?" Poppy turned to him and their noses bumped together. She started to stutter out something, but his eyes dazzled her into silence so all that came out was half of his name.

He gave her a breathy laugh. "Just chill out-"

"Jack! What on earth do you have with you? This is not allowed! You are knowing better than this-"

He stood in a flourish and pulled her up with him. "North listen I know, I don't need the speech right now. We needed somewhere safe. Someone threatened us." Jack straightened out Poppy's jacket for her before touching her cheek with his long fingers and smiled softly. "You need to try and calm down, North is going to help us. Say hello or something."

"Threatened?" The bearded man turned his bright gaze on the brunette clinging to Jack. "Who was it? Describe this man to me."

"Relax will you?" Jack said quietly to Poppy again before turning his crystal blue eyes on North. "Someone who called himself Justice of some High Council."

"Those relics?" North rolled his wide eyes. "Girl, is this truly what you saw?"

"Are you Santa Clause?" She whispered from under Jack's arm instead of answering his question. "You're different then I always pictured. You're tattoos are cool." She pointed out stupidly before kicking herself for the words that had tumbled from her mouth.

The giant bearded man chuckled. "Thank you."

"Her name's Poppy." The winter spirit rolled his bright eyes and pulled her from behind his back and gave her a gentle push towards North. "Tell him now what happened. Tell him about the guy who threatened you."

She cleared her throat and looked up at the huge man Jack had been calling North. "He was tall and thin, with this weird ribbon over his eyes. Oh and a golden scale in his hand." She held up one of her own hands to illustrate her point. "Do you know him?"

"Yes I know this man. What did he say to you?" North ran his huge hands through his beard. "How exactly did he threaten you?"

"He told me I've upset a balance, mortality held no place and something else about calling Jack before some kind of High Council, wasn't that it?" She looked up at him and he nodded while he leaned against his staff lazily. "Something about punishment for interacting with the mortal world or something, that's all I can remember, is it enough?"

The giant man grumbled something under his breath. "Jack you've broken rules by bringing her here but I will reprimand you myself for this later. I see how it was the best thing for you both at the time and a smart decision. Now come with me. I'll tell you about this High Council."


	4. Chapter 4

_A/N: Thank you so much for the reviews! leave me more. it helps alot with this endeavor. onward march. action/new characters cometh._

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North led Poppy and Jack several flights of stairs and up a strange elevator that twisted up a golden pole up levels of the packed workshop. North strode through a least a hundred of the giant fur creatures, who were all hunched over tables and mounds of toys and games without a second glance as to where he was going. Their brows were furrowed in concentration with paintbrushes or screwdrivers in their huge hands. Poppy held onto Jack's chilled fingers like a lifeline as she watched the bustle around her with wide eyes. The giant blinking globe rotating slowly in the center of the massive room seemed even bigger now that they were higher above it. Each the continent was dotted with thousands of twinkling lights.

"Those are all the kids that believe in us." Jack's soft voice was suddenly at her ear. "Plus I would bet my right hand that you've got a light up there too. Crazy girl."

She couldn't bring herself to make some kind of quip back at him, she was too overwhelmed by the zipping toys around her and the grumbling of the yetis. So she only rolled her eyes and shot him a look.

"Try and be keeping up!" North's voice came from somewhere ahead of the pair of them

"I always thought the elves made the toys? None of the books I read when I was little ever said anything about big scary yetis.." She whispered to Jack as they almost tripped over a small chattering group of the little creatures in jingle bell hats. They tinkered with a string of garland, but didn't seem to be contributing anything to the production around them.

He shrugged and threw her a lopsided grin over his shoulder. He took a long step around one of the yetis, pulling her along with him, and tapped his staff against his shoulder. She smiled up at him but she was busy trying desperately not the think about the situation at hand. She tried to think that they would meet tomorrow in the same clearing and play more question games. If Jack thought North could help them then she would trust him without a second thought. He was Santa Cause after all and there was no reason not to trust him. He said he knew about the supposed High Council that Justice had mentioned and it was all she had to go on aside from Jack of course. It was all too unfamiliar to be completely at ease.

"Right in here." North motioned them through a door in a shadowed and quiet corner of the workshop. He stole a glance back at the globe as Jack and Poppy slipped into the office and let out a long breath as he slammed the door shut behind them. "I know I have it in here somewhere.." He pushed past them and began rummaging through his cluttered desk before moving onto the stuffed bookshelves behind him.

Jack wiggled free of Poppy's grasp with an encouraging smile and floated over to the window, ruffling a few papers and flipping book pages as he stepped on the desk, before settling on the widow-sill of a huge double pained window on the other side of the office. She watched him for a moment before she peeked back over her shoulder at the trinkets and toys hanging from the ceiling. She turned and looked up at the ice sculptures and stuffed shelves behind her.

"Ah here." North pulled an old book from under the piles of papers on his desk with his lips pressed into a thin line in disgust. "This is what I was looking for. Look here." He flipped through the pages of lore and pointed a yellowed page. "The High Council is made of old spirits, ancient. Justice, Honor Virtue, Patience, like this you see?" He flipped to another page and pointed to an illustration. "Come closer. You won't be seeing anything from back there." His wide eyes sparkled and he grinned, motioning her forward with his great hand. "

Poppy glanced at Jack for reassurance, who wasn't really paying attention to them at all. He was tracing frosty patterns onto the glass with his fingertips. She took a nervous breath before she took a few steps towards the huge man hulking over his desk.

"There see? You may be breaking rules but you must not be scared of me. I may be big but I am full of wonder and kindness." He patted her back with a chuckle, which caused her to stumble forward. "See here, is this the creature you saw today?" He pointed towards the picture on the page again and pulled her in close to the page.

"Yeah without a doubt." She breathed. The eerie skeletal creature held out his scale and glared from under the red ribbon. She touched the page lightly. "He's the one who threatened us."

"As suspected. Allow me to explain then. The High Council is an ancient group of spirits, older than me or any of the others. They used to hold the same things we now guard for the children of the planet, are you understanding?"

Poppy shook her head. "Trying to."

"Innocence, hope, memory, dreams. These are things that must be protected in the children. You see? That is why we are here and why they must not be allowed to return" He closed the book with a snap and rubbed at his forehead. "We must call the others."

Jack was suddenly above them. With a frigid gust of wind, he stepped onto the desk and rolled his eyes. "North, listen. All I need to know is that guy isn't gonna come back and take her away, or make good on his threat and take me before his Council. Then who knows what will happen. Are you sure we have time to call everyone together?"

"I have been waiting for these spirits to return Jack Frost and you should be more worried than this. If they have threatened you, they will take you and it will leave us with the saving and I would rather avoid that all together, is that fair?" North strolled across the room to a coat hook where a belt with two thick swords hung. "You will keep your human here, safe and I will call the others. We can work together to stay safe, just like we always do, yes?"

Jack let out a breath, but clenched his jaw and said nothing.

"What others? Do you expect me to just stay here alone?" Poppy took a half step after the man. She turned back to Jack with nervous eyes. "Please don't leave me here alone. What if he comes back for me?"

"I expect you to do as you're told, little one. You've seen too much already. You will be safe here. Read a book or something. You have a vivid imagination, I remember that about you." He smiled fondly and took a huge step forward. "I give my word you will be safe here. They will never find the pole, it is veiled in magic and hidden from all who don't know where to look. We will come for you once we have a plan and then you can return home and pretend none of this ever happened, yes? Forget everything, and everything will be fine."

She turned to Jack desperately as he let out another long breath. "You'll be fine here. Those guys don't know anything about this place, there's no way theyll be able to find you. North's workshop is just about the safest place I can get you, and I promise I'll be back before you know it."

"Jack, you can't leave me here."

"Duty calls I'm afraid. Just stay here. Brainstorm some story ideas or something and you can tell me about it later. Be back before you know it okay?" He winked and followed North out the door. A heavy lock turned the bolt into place and complete silence filled the room.

"This isn't happening." Poppy immediately rushed over the to try and open the heavy door. She shook it hard, but achieved nothing. She dug frantically through the cluttered desk and bookshelves, searching the room for anything that could help her get out of the cluttered office and home, she only found trinkets, toys, books and more papers covered in scribbley writing. As the last option she took a few steps over to the window only to find that there was a steep drop into foggy nothing below her. "This isn't happening." She repeated quietly and leaned her forehead against the frosty window, where she stayed long enough for the window to steam up with her breath and to melt Jack's icy patterns away as if they were never there.

She turned her attention to the book that North had pulled from under the layers of papers on his desk. Curiously she began to flip through the pages with shaking hands. It took all her energy to focus on the words on the pages, but eventually Poppy was curled against one of the bookshelves in the office with her nose almost inside the ancient book and her toes in one of the thick rugs on the wooden floor.

The High Council was made up of a group different spirits and creatures, who were supposedly good like her Guardians, but didn't look anything close to good. Something called Truth, an old woman in a long black robe with a mirror clenched in her hand. Honor looked like some kind of Greek god. He had broad wings and a helmet with curled ram's horns and the face of a lion, but his eyes were deep set and shadowed. Patience was nothing more than a withered skeleton, waiting for eternity and with skin stretched thin over its bones. There were countless others, but from what Poppy could gather they had sat on the council to judge children's actions. They served for thousands of years, until their methods became too aggressive. Someone called the Man on the Moon then began electing Guardians and the High Council fell into the shadows. Santa Clause, the Tooth Fairy, the Sandman, and the Easter Bunny took over guarding the virtues of childhood, and hadn't returned until now.

Poppy rubbed her forehead. She had never read lore like this anywhere and it was hard to stomach all at once. She needed to talk to Jack, something normal. She bumped her head lightly against the bookshelf behind her. The sound of shouting from the hallway made her jump and sit up on her knees.

"-You brought a human here Jack, that's the bottom line." A man's voice sounded far away. "You should know by now that that's against the rules. Even if you don't pay any attention to those in the first place. Your reckless and you didn't think this through."

"And what would you have had him do instead Bunny?" A woman's voice was next. "Leave her with Justice? Nothing good would have come from that. It's our job to protect the children, even if this is a bit unorthodox. There was no other choice. Jack would never put us in danger and you know he was trying to help."

Poppy set the book aside and crawled closer to the door to listen.

"Thanks Tooth, at least someone is on my side. Not to mention it's kinda none of your business kangaroo. You wouldn't know how to deal with a human if they came up and slapped you in the face." Jack's voice answered. She could practically hear the sneer that came along with his tone.

"What are you trying to say? Do I have to remind you what happened with Jaime mate?" The voice of Bunny came a second time.

Poppy stood and took a step back from the door as an argument broke out on the other side. She was never going to get home at this rate, Jack could argue for hours if he wanted to. She turned and met the silent gaze of a golden glowing man. "Oh hello?" She jumped back slightly and tried to smile.

He narrowed his gaze at her before he grinned and held out his hands. Golden sand wrapped around her in strands like rope. From the glowing gold bloomed poppies and the man looked up at her expectantly.

"Poppies. Are you the Sandman?" She asked with a smile.

Sandman smiled broadly and in a flourish the tiny glowing man created a hat out of his sand and bowed.

"You're the guardian of kid's dreams?" She turned, running her fingers through the floating sand. Wherever her fingers touched butterflies, birds and flowers sprang and danced in the air around her. "But you don't talk?" She turned back to him.

He only smiled, his eyes wide and attentive.

"You don't talk. Do you know about the council? Are you all in danger? They threatened Jack you know." Poppy watched the sand instead of him.

Before the Sandman had a chance to answer the door slammed opened and Jack marched in with a deep shadowed scowl on his face. The sand around her faded as the ice spirit grabbed her hand and pulled her back towards the huge globe room. Goose bumps erupted up her arm from where his fingertips touched the back of her hand.

"What's wrong Jack?" She whispered into the back of his neck.

"We're leaving. Now. We'll find somewhere else to hide. Or better yet, I'll just go take the High Council on myself since none of you seem to want to act. You just want to focus on the fact that I brought her here. Another screw up for the newest Guardian. It was a mistake coming here." He pulled her towards the door where a giant rabbit and North blocked their way. "Outta the way."

"You can't leave Jack, where will you go? Where are you gonna take your little human." The rabbit looked at Poppy critically.

"Are you the Easter Bunny?" She asked the massive rabbit over Jack's slim shoulder. One of her hands touched his other shoulder as she stood on her tiptoes to look at the others who had crept into the room. "Are you Australian? I like your boomerangs."

Bunny's scowl softened a bit and Jack only rolled his eyes.

"Bunny's right though Jack, at least on this point. You have to stay here. There's so much that could go wrong if you leave with her. You'll both be in danger out there." The woman's voice came from a fairy covered in jewel colored feathers. She flitted into the room like a hummingbird and immediately rushed towards Poppy. "Hi. Oh it's been so long since we've had another girl around. Wow your hair's so short! Did you ever have braces? Your teeth are amazing." The fairy set her hands on Poppy's cheeks, ruffled her hair and spun her around in a circle, successfully removing Jack's hold on her. She kept her hands on the girls shoulders in a protective hold. "You can't leave Jack. We will go talk to them together, we aren't unwilling to act." Tooth turned to him. "We'll protect her together you don't have to do it alone."

"What about me?" Poppy looked up at the Toothfairy. "Will I just be here alone."

"You'll be safer here then anywhere else." Tooth said gently.

Jack groaned and started to talk over the fairy. "You'll come with us-"

"You'll go home, obviously." Bunny stepped forward and interrupted Jack which caused silence in the office. "The Council isn't after you, they're after Jack because of you. You are too old to be interacting with spirits."

"Bunny.." Tooth warned. Her small hands took hold of one of Poppy's. "You're being too harsh."

"Not to mention rude." Poppy muttered.

"No it's honest kiddo. I'm sorry but you're not doing us any favors by hanging around and I'm sure it's hard but we've got to get you home."

"Out of the question." North spoke up finally. He stepped forwards and Tooth zipped behind his broad shoulders. "Listen to me, you'll stay here. Right here in this room. I will leave my yetis outside this door and no one will come for you. Outside that window is a cliff. Unless these men can fly, which I can assure you they cannot, you will be safe." He patted her shoulder roughly before he pulled a snow globe from the inner pocket of the thick coat he had shrugged onto his shoulders.

"No way. What if something happens?" Jack tried to argue.

"What other choice do we have Jack? She'll be in danger otherwise." Tooth picked up Poppy's hands carefully in hers again. "We have to attack their stronghold together. And you're stronger then all of us, you can't stay behind."

"Are you all ready?" North asked somewhat impatiently as the other Guardians gathered around him.

"Jack you can't-" Poppy started.

He let out a breath and ran a hand through his snowy hair. "Be back before you know it." He said somewhat reluctantly. "Sorry to drag you into all of this. It er.. wasn't my intention when we first ran into each other." He glanced behind him to the others before turning his crystal gaze on her. "Just stay here, no matter what and you'll be fine. And then we can play more games or I can fly us some cool snowy places. Whatever you want to do, I promise."

"Who's Jaime?" She asked quietly. "I heard you guys fighting in the hall.."

"He was a friend who grew up and stopped believing in us. Maybe we could meet up with him sometime. You'd probably really like him. He's got as big an imagination as they come! Or at least he did once anyway." He shrugged, then picked up her hand. "Listen to me though, just stay right here. You'll be safe, and there's plenty of books to read and I'll be back to keep you safe soon."

Poppy peeked back over his slim shoulder to the other Guardians. North shook up his snow globe and tossed it onto the ground where it turned into a snowy, glowing portal to where she assumed the High Council would be hiding out. Tooth was surrounded suddenly in tiny fairies, with who she spoke to quietly, giving instructions to them on what to do in her absence. Bunny was shifting around impatiently, checking his satchels and boomerangs. She turned back to Jack, who was watching her carefully with a strange calm.

"We'll be fine."

"And if you're not?"

The frost spirit only laughed and planted a freezing kiss on her knuckles. "See you around."

"Keep your head down!" North shouted back to her as the Guardians disappeared in a blur into the portal that had opened up in the room.

The door creaked open after a moment of her standing dumfounded, holding her icy hand and a few of the massive yeti creatures stalked in and closed the door behind them. They eyed her carefully. She touched her knuckles carefully and let out a long breath.

"Are you here to keep me safe? I'm not going to will you into non-existence or anything. You all look terrified of me." She said sarcastically, earning a grumbly retort from the darkest colored of the three. "I guess I'll just read for the rest of the foreseeable future."


	5. Chapter 5

_AN: still trucking. graduated college moved out doing adult things. still leave me reviews. yadda yadda yadda. _

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After the Guardians locked the door and she was left to her own devices alone in North's office, Poppy read until she fell asleep in a ball on the floor. She had filled her mind with stories of nature spirits, holiday spirits, stories of ancient gods and beasts that had once existed in the forests and plains around the world. Her mind was full to bursting with things she had never even known existed and finally exhaustion over took her and she fell asleep on the colorful rug on the floor of North's workshop.

A frantic grunting made her wake with a start. A group of the huge Yetis were all standing over her with panicked looks on their furry faces and their enormous hands shaking her shoulders.

"What is it?" She sat up and struggled to get her bearings and to remember exactly where she was. She ran a hand through her hair and shook her head. The moon was shining alarmingly bright through the window and suddenly she was dragged up by her middle and the yeti hoisted her onto his shoulders with more urgent grunting. "Hey! What's going on!" In a rush, Poppy was deposited in the huge room Jack had first brought her into. She landed unceremoniously on the floor and quickly scrambled to her feet with a scowl.

The moon was still blindingly bright through a perfectly round window in the ceiling of the vaulted room. The huge globe at the center of the room was blinking red in waves across all the mosaic-ed continents. She looked back at the yetis who were still frantically gesturing to the globe. With a frustrated breath, Poppy leaned out over the railing beside a huge control panel. She narrowed her eyes to try and make sense of the blinking lights.

"What does it mean?" She asked before turning.

A tittering group of tiny fairies swarmed her and dipped into her pockets and under her over-sized coat and scarf.

"Relax, relax. What's got you all so nervous? Come on guys." She held out her arms and tried to see where the fairies had disappeared to so as not to squish them. "Now can anyone tell me what the scary lights mean?" She turned around carefully and searched the faces of her chaperones.

The gathered elves and yetis all watched her expectantly but didn't answer.

"No one can speak English, or at all. Not helpful." She turned back to the globe and took a half step towards the flashing panel in front of the globe. She wiggled her fingers above the glowing console and searched it with wide eyes for some kind of explanation. "I don't understand what's happening! All of this is in Russian and I don't speak Russian."

"Perhaps you should pay better attention, stupid girl." A smooth voice came from somewhere behind her. "No need to be alarmed, I'm virtually harmless in this form. Virtually." From the shadows, a black figure slunk towards her.

All of the small elves, who had been watching her carefully cowered back behind the yetis at the sound of the voice from the shadows, and the yetis in turn all took defensive stances in the direction of the shadows. Poppy hesitated before taking a few steps towards the smooth voice and through the huge group of yetis from the tall angular man slinking his way towards her. He was essentially a solid smoky shadow, with deep set eyes and thin fingers.

"Who are you?" She asked quietly as she stopped at the front of the group of yetis, elves and the tiny fairies still tittering and shaking hidden inside her clothes. "Is all of this your fault?" She motioned back to the flashing globe.

"Don't be ridiculous. And don't look so frightened, stupid girl. I'm here to help you and by extension myself." He rolled his eyes and continued to inch forward weakly. He turned suddenly to the yetis. "Boo."

As a group, they jumped back and the elves scattered from under the yetis feet and down one of the shadowy hallways in a tinkle of bells.

"Who are you?" She asked the shadow again. "You're obviously not here to hurt us."

"Am I not." He grinned, baring pointed and jagged teeth. "You may call me Pitch Black, or the Boogie Man, humbly at your service, stupid girl."

"My name's Poppy, in case you were curious. Jack told me about you. You're not to be trusted." She set her jaw. Her fingers clenched tightly around her scarf.

Pitch snorted. "Jack Frost huh? Do you have any idea where the little snowflake is now? Not to mention your other Guardians." His tone dripped with indignation. "Trapped, caught in the same prison I've found myself bound. I've been momentarily enticed to help them with the promise that they will help me regain my freedom in return. Will you stop being daft and listen?"

"I was listening, there's no need to be rude." Poppy stood up a little straighter as the shadow floated past her gracefully. "Jack's in trouble? How do I get to him? How are you here if you're there..?"

His bright eyes rolled dramatically. "Projection. Try and keep up. This is only a shadow of my physical form, which is in a prison in the Hall of the High Council. It's just a little something I picked up in the dark ages." He looked down at his fingernails. "All you need is one of those damn globes and you can find us without any effort at all."

"Globe, which globe?" She ran her hands through her chopped hair as her eyes fell to the floor. "North's globe? The globe that he had when he left?"

"Bravo." The shadowy figure of Pitch leaned up against the railing and rested his chin in his hand lazily. "Not as dumb as you look."

She scowled briefly before she turned to the yetis, who were still watching Pitch's shadow warily. "Well is there another? Is there another globe?" The creatures shrugged and then grunted to one another. "There isn't another?" Her heart dropped.

Pitch's face changed slightly as if he were listening to someone else speaking. "In the sleigh? Direct from the horse's mouth, or indirectly, as it were. Do you think that sounds manageable?"

Three of the yetis scrambled a little, nodding frantically before they ran off to find the extra globe. The majority of the elves at their feet scrambled off into the shadowed workshop in a jingle of bells, leaving only a few who still watched Pitch carefully. The tiny fairies were even all peeking out of the folds in her clothes, as the threat seemed to have diminished.

"Where do they have Jack. Can you tell me?" She whispered to Pitch with a small squeak after a long moment of awkward silence. She cleared her throat and continued on with more confidence. "You were defeated by the Guardians but you wouldn't risk yourself unless you were in as much danger as they were right."

Pitch's arm dropped from his face and he stole a glance back over his shoulder. "In a place that's too hot for his ice flesh. A furnace and fire and enchanted chains to keep him still. That's what I can see." He let out a long suffering breath and looked back up at the globe in the center of the huge room. "There was a time I almost wiped out all belief on the planet. It's in my nature you know, to want for nightmares and dark."

Poppy felt a knot in her chest. Jack was going to be hurt. She had no idea how much damage the heat could cause him but to think of the delicately built snow prince exposed to fire made her stomach turn. She ignored Pitch's talk of nightmares to squeak out a somewhat broken question. "Is he alive?"

"Hm?" The shadow's form flickered in and out of focus. "Barely. Better hurry little mouse or he'll be a puddle by the time you find him."

"Can you help him? I'll do anything. Keep him safe until I can get there." She stepped forward and reached for his wispy hands.

He let out a long breath through his nose. "If I could help anyone I would help myself, but seeing as how I haven't yet it should be fairly obvious that I can't." He paused as her face changed to one of complete worry. "How utterly adorable. You love the little snowflake or something equally as nauseating. He'll be fine, little human. It's you you should be worried about." He set his chin back into his hand and looked out at the globe with a distant look in his eyes. "At any rate it feels good to have some sort of purpose again." He muttered.

She stuttered for an answer, but when none came she settled on a scowl. She immediately began chewing on her lip and fidgeting with her fingernails, trying to rid her body of the nervous energy that had every cell in her body almost on fire.

A huge commotion at one of the entrances of the globe room made her jump and turn. The yetis who had rushed off to check North's sleigh for the spare snow globes were now all stumbling back into the room. In their giant hands was one spare globe, cradled gently against the darkest creature's fur. The magic snow inside swirled in pinks, violets and blues and glittered with what she could only assume was some enchantment to get them where they needed to go. She took it from their massive paws with a short, relieved laugh.

"You found more globes. Thank goodness." Poppy turned to Pitch who stood up straighter and gave her a lazy bow. "What now?"

"See you on the other side, stupid girl." His shadow form disappeared in a few wisps of smoke.

"They're all in trouble. That Pitch man.. He said Jack was chained up and there was a furnace. Please help me help him." The yetis glanced to one another before setting their faces into determined looks. The fairies fluttered from under her coat at Pitch's disappearance and fluttered around her face, pulling at her hood and collar of her shirt. "You should all stay here with the elves. You'll be in a lot of danger, better stay here where you'll be safe and sound okay?"

The fairies tittered in some sort of agreement as they slowly emerged from the folds of her clothes and floated into the air around her. Poppy looked around the workshop nervously before her eyes settled on a flashlight and a baseball bat leaning against one of the wooden worktables tucked back in the shadows. She jogged over to the table and wrapped her fingers wrapped around the wooden bat. She took a few more steps back towards the yetis as she thought to herself that the bat should have been going to a kid for Christmas and instead it was going to help her find her lost winter prince. She let out a shaking breath.

The darkest yeti at the front of the group gently handed her the globe that it had found in the sleigh with a concerned look.

"If I'm not back in a couple hours come after me and assume the worst?" The words came out as an unsure question. She adjusted her hold on the baseball bat before she shook up the magic globe and held it up to her face. "Take me to the Hall of the High Council, please."

The magic globe jumped from her hands and exploded into a swirling vortex of color and light. After a moment of blindness, she glanced back to her makeshift band of protectors, who waved their hands towards the portal. She took a deep breath before stepping into the light.

Poppy tumbled out the other side if the magic portal and struggled to stand up. She lifted herself to her knees and clicked the light on. When it didn't switch on right away she hit the butt against her palm a few times before it stuttered on and illuminated the dark space. She had been spit out in a huge hallway. Ancient stone covered in moss and hair thin cracks surrounded her on all sided. Great columns ran down the center hallway, each etched with different symbols. Poppy let out a long breath that puffed out in a little cloud into the freezing stone space. Her hands were shaking as she stole a glance back through the portal that was still glowing at her back. The Yetis watched her for another moment through the glowing magic hole that she had fallen through.

"Remember if I'm not back in an hour or so then come after me. Save Jack no matter what, promise me." Poppy's hands tightened around the bat she had snagged before she left the workshop at the Pole. All she could think of was Jack's condition. If what Pitch had told her was true, and he was tied to some kind of intense heat source, she had no idea what could happen. The effect of the heat on the ice spirit hadn't ever been a topic of discussion in the clearing where they had been just the day before. She let out a long breath before she picked up the snow globe and the portal disappeared in a little flurry of snowflakes.

As the window back to North's workshop closed, the still and dark of the hall around her became realer and she shivered. The huge ancient stones were intimidating and suddenly much bigger that they had been with the soft glow of the portal lighting them. She tightened her shaking hands around her bat and shook up the snow globe one more time.

"Can you take me to Jack?" Poppy's voice shook despite it being little more than a whisper. "Please?"

The snow globe flashed a bright purple and then a pink before it jumped from her hand and hit the ground. A new portal opened up, faulty and glowing with more reds than the other had been. Poppy threw one last wary look around before she stepped through the new portal.


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Im unstoppable. also my chapters got messed up and i just noticed oops.

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Heat blasted her in the face on the other end of the portal like a hot summer wind. After shielding her face for a moment, she coughed and scooped the snow globe up quickly to brush the dust off of it. The dramatic change in teperature immediately cracked the surface of the glass and it fell apart in her hands. Her eyes came into sharp focus as the globe turned to golden dust that slipped through her fingertips.

"No, please. I still need you."

"What are you doing here Poppy. I thought I told you stay put." Jack's voice was hardly a whisper accompanied by a clink of chains from somewhere behind her.

She turned quicklu and her heart jumped into her throat. Her snow prince was chained unceremoniously to the bars of the singular cell, the dark iron wrapped back and forth over his chest and torso. His sparkling hair was matted to his forehead and his sweater had been ripped from his body and thrown into the corner of the cell. His delicate skin was blistered and blotchy. His eyes sat like dull sapphires in his usually shining face.

"Oh my god what did they do to you?" She rushed to the other side of the small room after a wary look over her shoulder. She leant the bat she had grabbed from the table in North's workshop and frantically pulled on the locked door of the cell. It did nothing but make noise and she resigned herself to collapsing on the floor at his back. She examined the chains where they cut into the thin skin at bone of his wrists. Her hands floated above his hands, she was scared to touch him. "What are all these chains? What have they done and how do I get you out?"

"No worse then what they'll do to you if you don't get out of here." He struggled to turn against his chains that were carved with some sort of ancient symbols, she assumed were there to keep him in place. "But you are a sight for sore eyes if I've ever seen one." He let out a half breath and let his head fall back against the bars next to Poppy's face. "You're not hurt are you?" His voice was still barely a whisper as he tried to crack a smile through his painfully chapped lips.

She laughed humorlessly and set her hands on his though the bars. "You're asking me if I'm okay? God Jack, of course I'm not hurt. Are you okay?"

"I can't be in this heat much longer, but I am for now don't worry. You have to run. Leave and fast before they come back-"

"No! No way, I am not leaving this place without you." Poppy shook her head before she grabbed her bat and slipped back around to the door of the cell. They exchanged a look, and she swung it as hard as she could at the rusted lock. The sound of wood on metal rang out over the stones and out the hallway in a loud rattle that made Jack cringe. She hit it again and again until the rusted door creaked open and the lock dangled uselessly from the bars. In a rush she was at Jack's side, fumbling with the chains, earning hisses and a few strained curses from the frost spirit. "I'm never going anywhere without you again. We have to get you out of here. Was there a key to these?"

"You're hands are so cold." He moaned as she managed to carefully free his blistered wrists from their binds and his arms fell limply to his sides. He leaned into her touch almost desperately and her fingers fanned out along either side of his neck. "God bless your poor circulation." His voice was hardly a hoarse whisper.

"I would apologize but I know in this case it's probably heavenly." Poppy's fingers found their way to his cheeks. She took a moment to look him over carefully. To match the blisters that were blooming all over his pale skin, there were a few deep cuts and bruises that were going to need attention. Nothing that appeared life threatening, aside from the heat, but she didn't know how life threatening something like that was to the frost spirit.

He let out a long deep sigh and his eyes fluttered closed. "I should be angry but I'm just glad you're crazy enough to come after us. Don't move your hands. They're so cold."

"I couldn't just let you melt." She admitted shyly. One of her hands slipped from his face and took hold of his tightly. She tried to ignore the bruises on her knuckles. "Plus you kinda promised you'd come back and you didn't. My hands won't stay cold forever in here. We have to move quickly, can you walk?" She looked worriedly back over towards the entrance to the small cell. They were still alone, but there had to be someone coming to check on him soon.

His blue eyes were fuzzy as he opened his eyes and looked up to her. "Just sit here with your cold hands for a little bit longer."

Poppy took a deep breath and ignored the pleading look on his face. "We really have to go. I'll stick my hands in ice water later and leave them on your face for as long as you want once we get you out of here and safe Jack. This heat is going to kill you." She let the hand that was still on his pale cheek slip down to wrap around his other hand. She pulled lightly on his arms. "I can't lose you now. Come on, we have to go."

Jack groaned at the loss of her chilled fingertips against his skin. "Don't think I can walk without your help. You up to it?"

"Of course, whatever you need. Just please don't melt." With that, she slipped across the superheated cell to grab Jack's sweatshirt. When she turned back to him her brain faltered. She wasn't sure how she hadn't noticed, but she had been blinded by worry. He was half naked, pale skin almost glowing in the shadowed cell. The thought of touching more of his skin was enticing but terrifying as just touching his hand had left her with a tingling electric feeling. She clenched his hoodie to her chest. "Oh.."

"What's wrong?" He struggled to focus his fuzzy vision on her. "I should be able to walk on my own if it'll be a problem?"

"No!" She said a little too fast. She rushed back to his side and dropped to his side. "No I mean it's just.. That you're just.." She held out his sweater. "Maybe you could just put this back on or we won't manage to get very far. That's all I'm saying."

He glanced down at his own bare chest, suddenly aware of the fact that his hoodie was gone. "You're worried about.." He trailed off and his vision snapped into focus. "Oh.."

A heavy awkward silence fell between them, as a worried understanding settled. Poppy chewed on her lip and tried not to look at Jack, who was watching her very carefully. She picked at her thumbnail with the hand that wasn't still clutching Jack's sweater. He reached out after a short minute and slipped his hoodie back over his bare chest before he cleared his throat.

"Hey uh, this isn't the right time to be.. You know and I know that I'm reaching the end of my rope over here. I have to get somewhere cold or we're not gonna have another chance to figure this out." Jack's voice was suddenly even softer than it had been and cracked like he needed water, or snow. He picked up her hand in his shaky fingers and set it carefully on his chest. "Nothing to be scared of see? It's just me. Please Poppy. Get me out of here before I'm a puddle."

Poppy gave him a grateful smile. "Where's your staff?" She wrapped his arm around her slim shoulders and pulled him to his feet with a little effort and more pain than she ever wanted to see etched in his snowy face again. "It's not in here. Did you happen to catch where they took it?"

"Taken." His head dipped forward as he struggled to walk and stay upright at the same time. "No idea where they took it. Maybe one of the others saw. Just get me out of this heat."

She grabbed the bat that she'd tossed to the floor before they crept out into the stone hallway. Jack immediately let out a sigh of content at the drop in temperature, but sounds of what Poppy could only assume were the spirits of the high council moving somewhere nearby kept her from enjoying his content. The snow globe from North's workshop was gone and she struggled to keep him on his feet.

"Ah, stop for a just sec. Please." Jack's voice came as a breathy whisper at her ear and they ducked into a shadowy corner where he immediately collapsed against the chilled bricks. His breaths were labored but his fingertips left tiny patches of ice on the grey stones, much too Poppy's relief, wherever they happened to brush against the rough surfaces. His skin had even started to return to the ghostly pale it was supposed to be, aside from the cuts and bruises that weren't a result of the furnace.

The sounds of movement got closer from the hallway. Someone was obviously coming to check on Jack. She looked up to the frost spirit, whose head had fallen back against the stone and his eyes had slipped shut. Her hands found his again and her blood ran cold.

"Come here. Someone's coming." She whispered and pulled him further into the shadowy corner. Jack limply fell to the stone floor and pulled Poppy down with him. She shivered as his breath hit her neck but she kept her eyes on the shadowy hallway and her attention hyper focused on the approaching sounds. The bat was still clutched in the hand that wasn't holding onto Jack. She could try and fight whatever was coming but there wasn't much hope of her doing anything significant.

"Cold hands?" He whispered to her with the smallest smile she'd ever seen on his face.

Poppy gave him a faulty smile as he thoughts turned to him. She moved her hand from his to set her chilled fingers on his face. The scraping and walking sounds got closer and closer. She threaded her fingers into his heated snowy hair and he shivered. She hesitated, and repeated the motion. She scraped her fingernails along his scalp. He leaned into her. "Shh, there's someone coming to check on you. They'll find you're gone and I can't let them get you again."

"They won't take me anywhere." He turned to the hallway as a huge creature emerged from the shadows at the other end of the hallway. The spirit's massive wings dragged on the ground behind him and his eyes were shielded by a great helmet. He took slow and steady steps up the hallway. She looked nervously to him, and Jack held a finger up to his lips. "He passes, we run." He stood shakily, leaning up against her and the wall behind. "We have to get back to where they threw the others or we won't stand a chance."

"Which is?" Poppy asked quietly. She looped her arm back around his waist and pulled him close. One of her eyes was glued on the massive creature lumbering down the hall.

He groaned and forced himself to his feet. He wobbled before setting a steadying hand on the wall. Bits of ice were still trying to form under his hands. He wrapped his fingers around her palm. "Come on."

She searched his face with a worried breath. "You still don't look so good."

"Good as I'm gonna get. We won't get more time."

The massive spirit passed them and in a rush, they limped down the hallway. Poppy kept her eyes behind them at the retreating shadow of the massive winged man. He disappeared around a corner of the stone hallway where she had found Jack. He would find him missing soon enough and everyone would be on high alert looking for the depleted frost spirit and his little human. She kept her grip around Jack's middle tight, even though her eyes continued to stray back to in the direction they had come.

"Relax." He said at her ear. "Everything's okay now, we're together-"

A huge roar erupted from the other end of the hallway and cut him off.

"It's going to come back this way." She held him tighter as her entire body tensed. We have to go faster."

"Don't know if I can go faster. We'll hide." His voice was strained

"Hide where?" She hissed. Her eyes darted around them for shadows or corners or anything at all but there was nothing at all. She took a half step behind him and held him tighter. "What do we do?"

The stones around them rumbled and another roar made them freeze.

Jack rolled his eyes. He took a few shaky steps away from Poppy. He held out his hands and clenched his jaw. His stance faltered. "Ah. Come on.."

"Jack please. We have to go-" She held out a hand for him.

"Not enough time." Jack kept his hands out in front of him. His legs were wobbling but he stood firm.

"Jack Frost. You are a liar and a trickster." The deep voice bounced off the stones around them as the massive man in armor appeared in front of them. "What will you do without your staff. I was told it is where you pull your power. You have no honor." He turned his veiled eyes next on the girl. "This must be the girl. The girl you've been acting out for. A shame. Mortality has no place here."

"So I've been told." Poppy muttered. Her attention was fully on Jack, but her hands tightened around the bat.

"Stay behind me." Jack pushed her a few steps behind his thin shoulders

"Where will your honor be boy when she grows up."

"Stop." Jack faltered.

"Where will your honor be when you can no longer keep her heart safe, when she is in love and you cannot be there for her. Where will it be when she is old and you are young. Her heart will be tainted with your promises-" Honor's voice cut off as ice snaked up his legs and wound around his arms. It froze him over into a hard block and Jack fell to his knees with a gasp. His hand clenched his chest.

"What were you thinking!" She rushed to him and pushed him up onto his knees.

"It won't hold him for long. Have to find North."

Poppy pulled him back to his feet. "How did you do that?"

"Magic." He laughed under his breath.

"Magic that's gonna kill you."

Under Jacks instruction they managed to find their way back towards the other cells. It seemed to be miles away. Poppy was already exhausted. He was slim but much taller than her and she was having trouble balancing both of them, but they continued to trudge through the shadowed hallways. The longer they were in the damp and cold, the more healthy Jack seemed to get. His pale skin had lost the ugly blistered red it had taken on in the super-heated jail cell. The blast of ice that had gotten them free of Honor's dangerous clutches had taken its toll on him though and he was struggling even in the much colder environment. He hadn't said anything but his eyes were fuzzy again and she was trying to ignore it.

"Here in here. I know it." He stumbled into a corridor ahead of Poppy and fell to the cool floor with a long sigh.

"Jack?" Tooth's voice hummed from the end of the cells. "Oh my goodness gracious, finally. Are you okay?"

"You are something else snowflake. Get us outta here, yeah?" Bunny's voice came from the next cell over. "These bars are enchanted or something else. They knew we were comin'."

"Jack are you being okay?" North was next. He was leaning with his arms through the bars of his cell. "You don't look so good."

"He's not." Poppy rushed forward and helped the spirit back up onto his knees. "Come on Jack. Remember my cold hands?" She set them on either side of his face.

"How did you get here?" Bunny wrapped his paws around the rusted bars and peered out as best as he could. His long ears twitched towards the end of the hallway. "Those blokes are comin' back. I can hear their angry footsteps rushin' towards us."

"My staff. Have you seen my staff?" Jack lifted his head off to look up at Poppy. She spared him a small smile before he turned to the row of cells. "They had you longer after they threw me in that furnace. Please tell me you saw it."

Tooth zipped around the cell. "They took it with them. We can get it back. Ah!" Her bright eyes focused on the space just above the door. The feathers at her hip ruffled and she plucked a single thick quill from her plumes. "Here we go." Moving as quickly as her twinkling wings could carry her she made quick work of the crusted and decrepit lock with her thin, agile fingers. The lock gave way with a creak and she zipped out of the cell. She zipped across the room and lifted Jack's arms and shifted his face in her direction with a concerned expression and worried hands. "You've been through it for sure. But now that we know your safe we can mount an attack plan. These guys are dumber than I thought trying to hold us all at once."

"Finally." Bunny rolled his eyes and tapped on the stone floor with his paw. He was in front of them in a flash and took the weight of the frost spirit from Poppy's shoulders. "You bit off more you could chew makin' friends with snowflake here. You okay mate? You feel.. Warm. It's weird."

"They strapped me to a furnace." Jack's voice was quiet.

Tooth gave them a bright grin before she flipped the thick feather over in her fingers. She flitted over the North's cell and picked the lock with ease. With a loud laugh, North pulled the door off its hinges easily. He rushed forward and he the other guardians rallied around their injured friend. Poppy took a few steps away from the group as they all began to speak quietly. She let out a breath and leaned back in order to peer out into the hallway. The coast was clear for now but there was no way to know when they would come for Jack, and there was also no doubt in her mind that they would come for her. Over and over they had spoken about the balance and how upset it was because of their interaction. Jack wasn't the only one they wanted to punish, she was absolutely sure of that. She ran her hands over her face and let out a shaking sigh.

Poppy looked back over her shoulder when she felt an uneasy feeling from behind her. Her eyes met the lazy gaze of a shadowy man leaning against the bars that were etched with the same ancient symbols that she had seen on Jack's chains. His eyes watched the guardians carefully before turning to her.

"Boo." He mouthed with a toothy grin.

"You helped me back at the pole." She kept her voice low, and took a few slow steps in his direction. "I owe you a lot. For helping me find him."

"Yes you do." He commented with a curious tilt of his head. "You're not interested in the heartwarming family reunion?" He waved one of his bony hands vaguely in the direction of the Guardians who were huddled in a small circle around Jack's petite body.

Instead of answering Pitch's question she leaned in close to search his golden eyes. "How do I get you out of here?" Her gaze shifted to the symbols carved into the bars and her fingers traced a few of the strange scrapings. "Are these keeping you in here?"

"You don't. Stupid girl, but your enthusiasm is just remarkable."

"Do you honestly not remember my name or do you just insist on calling me stupid?"

"Poppy, get away from him now." Jack's cracking voice made her turn away from the shadow man. He took a stumbling step away from the other Guardians, who regarded Pitch with cautious eyes. "He's dangerous and you can't trust him, no matter what he says."

"Cool it, Jack, if you're able in your depleted state. My hands are tied so long as I'm in this cell. I'm completely harmless. And actually even if I leave the cell I have been punished to the highest degree for my transgressions against the balance of darkness and light, as it were." Pitch didn't move from his position, with his arms lazily draped through the bars of the cell. His hands however floated lazily along with his words. "These unbreakable shackles prevent me from using too much of my magic. I won't be causing you trouble anymore. Not from here."

"He helped us get in contact with Poppy, Jack. He projected his form from here." Tooth explained. "He can't do anything to us, not right now or anytime soon. And if he does.."

"Yes I'm aware there will be huge amounts of hell to pay." Pitch quipped.

"But that doesn't mean he's going anywhere." Bunny warned.

Pitch rolled his eyes again. "Oh, I'm shaking in my boots."

"Easy Bunny, he is our ally as long as we're here. As much as I'm disliking it. We have no other choices as of now." North started with a careful glare in the nightmare king's direction.

"Trust me there is nothing more that I would like to do then introduce you to my shadows. But, I think you mean as soon as _you_ get out of here." Pitch motioned to the group with is delicate grey hand. "I doubt you could break me out of these bars even if you tried. I'm bound to the bars, that's what these engravings say anyway. Quite rude, no way at all to entertain the Nightmare King." He snorted

Jack was suddenly behind Poppy, leaning heavily on her shoulder again. His hands were colder but still not cold enough to be normal. She set a hand on his to try and keep him calm. "You stuck here, huh? You deserve worse. Did you see where they took my staff?"

Pitch opened his mouth to bite out some kind of snippy answer when a growl came from the doorway and a huge shadow filled the room. Honor's armored form filled the entire doorframe and he eyed the Guardians as well as Pitch, who gave no reaction whatsoever. "Looks like we have company. Always a pleasure you brute." His eyes fell to the ground and finally closed with a bored sigh.

North's huge arms pulled both Poppy and Jack behind him as he regarded Honor with his bright eyes. Bunny and Tooth stepped to attention on either side of him, earning a groan from Pitch. Jack stumbled and Poppy caught his arm.

"Hand over the children and return to your cells." Honor's voice was low. One of his giant arms removed a great golden ax from his back and he held it out threateningly in one of his huge hands. "Or there will be hell to pay."

"Children." Jack scowled and moved to take a defensive stance. "I am not a kid."

"Sh.. You can't fight him like this." Poppy covered his mouth with her hands. His skin was still too warm to make her feel comfortable with his well-being. She shifted her cool fingers to his slim neck. "We have to find your staff and then you can beat him up all you want."

He narrowed his gaze briefly but kept his voice low. "And how do you propose we do that?"

She nodded to Pitch who was watching them with uninterested eyes. He cocked an eyebrow as if to say 'the balls in your court' before poking his chin in the direction of the shadowed hallway behind them. She glanced to the hallway before pulling lightly on Jack's arm.

"This way."

"Are you really gonna trust him?" Jack's long fingers wrapped around her upper arm and pulled her close so no one else could hear his hushed voice.

Poppy shook her head. "I can't be sure, but why would he lie? He has nothing to gain."

She turned to him and her breath caught as their noses bumped again. He seemed distracted though and wasn't thinking about the sudden close proximity of their faces. His eyes darted between Pitch, who was once again watching Honor as if he would free him from the cell, and then to his friends who were preparing to fight. He set his jaw and took Poppy's hand.

"Okay. Okay fine. Time to disappear." He breathed and pulled her back into the shadows and down the hallway. North and Bunny's shouts signaled the fight, Honor roared something in an ancient language that caused a bright flash of light. Jack's leg's wobbled again but he shook it off and set his jaw. "C'mon. We have to find my staff or we might never make it out of here."


	7. Chapter 7

_A/N: I just spent so long editing this. No one cares. I will write regardless. My chapters got messedup. this is in fact in the proper place now, the new chapter i guess is technically right before this. please reread and dont hate me :(_

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Poppy didn't say anything at first. Her hand in his anchored her to the present. He was cooler than he had been, which was comforting in a way. She had him back, which was also comforting, but they were far from harm's way. He pulled her into one shadowed hallway and then another. She wanted to go home, she didn't want to face the monstrous spirits lurking in the dungeons. All she could think about was returning to the clearing with her winter spirit and not ever thinking about the stone halls again.

"What's wrong?" Jack suddenly stopped and met her gaze.

"No it's-"

The frost spirit rolled his eyes. "Don't do that. Tell me."

She hesitated for a long moment. "I just want to go home."

He looked taken aback and let out a breath.

"I mean this is just.." She gestured vaguely to the dark hallway. "Not exactly what I imagined we'd be doing when we started meeting each other. I've had my life threatened and been in real danger. I just want something normal, you know?"

He gave her a strange look, but managed a laugh and half a grin even. "There's nothing normal about me Poppy. You knew that the moment I first met you."

"You're also not threatening my life at every turn." She rolled her eyes and looked up at him carefully. "It would just be nice to get back to you and me in that clearing is all. I'm not exactly built for fighting ancient spirits, you can't blame me for being tired after all this." Her gaze dropped to her hands wrapped around his.

He hesitated for a long moment. "Listen, about that-"

"Oh now isn't that sweet." Pitch's voice came from the shadows. The ghostly copy of the spirit trapped in the cell that had appeared to Poppy back at the Pole materialized out of the shadows and crossed his arms. "I can help you but it must happen quickly, the others won't be able to fight off Honor forever. But you must trust me, for now at least. Not that I'm particularly happy with the arrangement.."

Jack gave the shadowy form an incredulous look. He held on tightly to Poppy's wrist. "I don't trust you, but I can see your point which is about as good as you're going to get from me." He hissed through his teeth.

"And what say you, stupid girl. Shall I show you the way? Or will you be lingering here making goo-goo eyes at the delicate snow prince."

Poppy hesitated when he tensed at her side. "We don't have any choice Jack. He wants to help, at least sort of." She threw a careful look over her shoulder a Pitch's projection. He was watching them but his face was neutral. "Please take us to his staff, we would be grateful."

Jack was silent, but nodded begrudgingly. She looked to the ice spirit, and then to Pitch's shadow. Her hand shifted to his chilled fingers and she lifted it and wrapped it in both of hers.

"We don't have a choice right now, you see that. Don't get heated now when you're just cooling off again." She leaned in a little closer to his neck murmured quietly. His face softened. "He can't hurt anyone like this, remember that. He's trying to help himself which for now means us too. As soon as he does anything I give you permission to freeze him over."

"You mean it? You won't stop me?" A small smile graced Jack's pale face.

Poppy shook her head. "No, I won't stop you."

Pitch rolled his eyes, but stole a wary glance back over his shoulder. The distant sounds of the clanging of chains and steel along with yelling voices signaled Honor was still occupied with the other Guardians. He let out a short breath. "This is literally killing me. Follow me children. It's not far from here."

Pitch's form glided effortlessly through the hallways, as if he had wandered them for years and years before them. He peeked around corners to be sure their way was clear before sneaking them further into the bowels of the High Council's caves. His silvery, grey finger tips trailed over the stone walls. Poppy held tight to Jacks thin fingers, and let his long strides pull her along while her thoughts wandered. She kept looking back behind them warily, the sounds of someone lurking were constant and she was sure it was only a matter of time before whoever it was caught up to them. Jack's hand was still wrapped tightly around hers but it did little to stop the fluttering of her heart every time a water droplet dripped from the ceiling or a rock bounced against the stone floor in front of them.

"Ta-da." Pitch's voice snapped her from her thoughts as they stepped through a rather ornate looking door and into a small cluttered library room.

"What is this place?" Poppy asked, her eyes tried to drink in the details of the small area. All the desk space was covered haphazardly with scrawled on papers and ink while the walls were filled with either bookshelves or postcards and prints of whimsical forests. Jack darted into the clutter with an earnest look on his face.

"Best not to ask." Pitch responded with a sour look on his face.

"I already did."

"Ever heard of Mother Goose? So did the High Council. This is all that's left. Are you now satisfied?" He didn't turn to her, but his eyes scanned the books around her.

"What reason would they ever have to punish Mother Goose?"

"Found it!" An explosion of icy wind and snowflakes whipped papers off the tables around Pitch and Poppy. She covered her eyes as in a rush the snow spirit was in front of her and along with him, more freezing snowflakes and biting wind. He laughed and pulled her into a twirling hug with his chilled fingers wrapped around hers. "Without you I would be a puddle in the basement! You are an angel!"

She tried to laugh, as he rubbed his nose against hers. She was distracted from his Eskimo kisses by how chilled he was again, but he was overjoyed to have her icy spirit back. The overwhelming anxiety that had been ebbing at her heart waned and she relaxed into his arms a little more.

"Will we be facing off against the council just yet?" Pitch's voice sounded strained. "I can't project like this for much longer. You must challenge their ruling and reclaim order and balance, or something equally heroic and nauseating." He scowled deeply. "Good luck." With that the shadowy figure was gone.

Jack concentration returned to Poppy the moment after Pitch had finished his warning. A giggle bubbled out of his chest and he lifted her up into the air and spinning her a dizzying twirl."I feel so much better! I can take on the world!" He hummed quietly, before laughing and setting her back on the ground. "What do you say?"

"Take on the council before the world Jack." She took a step away from him, and ran a hand through her messy hair. "Plus we need to meet back up with everyone else-"

"I almost forgot!" Wind picked Jack's bare feet up off the floor and he wrapped both his hands around one of hers as he floated back towards the door. "Come on, I won't have a problem protecting you now."

"Wait, wait Jack." She dragged her heels along the floor to stop his floating. "We need a plan of attack. What are we gonna do to challenge the Council without any kind of plan at all?"

He set his feet back on the ground and took a half step back towards her. He rolled his eyes. "I never really have a plan-" He started with a laugh.

"Hm.." Poppy let out a breath and turned to the room behind them. "There must be some kind of oath or word or something that we can use to challenge them.. If your power comes from belief, then there must be something-"

"Poppy would ya look at me please?" Jock's voice came as she started shifting through papers and books almost frantically. "Poppy stop!" His hands caught hers with a soft laugh and with a few taps of his fingers ice danced up her arm. She shivered and her attention focused on him fully. "You gonna listen now?"

She frowned and shook the ice off her skin. "Are you going to take this more seriously?"

"Do I ever?"

"This is basically a library Jack, there has to be some sort of oath or word or spell that we can use in one of these books and we have to find it before they get here." She tried to turn her head to look back at the bookshelves, but his hand caught her cheek and kept her gaze on his. "What is it?"

"I think we should talk about this."

Her blood ran cold and she immediately pulled away from him. "Talk about what exactly.."

He laughed quietly. "Listen, I'm old Poppy. Not like physically but mentally I am over three hundred years old. You know that right? Remember I told you? And most of that time I spent by myself. I'm sorta messed up in the head and I talk to myself a lot. Not to mention I haven't really had any sort of physical contact in centuries, and I don't mean that in any other way but face value. But these last couple months hanging out with you has been a blast, but you know that I'm.. Well I'm you know.."

"Dead?" Poppy focused sharply on his pale face. Her voice was quiet.

"Be more blunt won't you?"

She rolled her eyes and caved, if the conversation was going to happen now she knew this was the moment. "If you being dead bothered me I'm sure that I would have stopped talking to you the second you summoned the wind with your magic stick-"

"-It's a staff. That's not really what I'm getting at though you know."

"Yeah I know it's not."

There was a heavy awkward pause between them as she tried to think of how she could possibly tell him that she couldn't imagine life without him, that since they had met the first time she had felt more happy then she had been since her father had died. That there was no way she could leave him now. She gripped at his fingers, trying to convey everything that was racing through her mind. She looked up to him and bit her lip but all she could get out was a heavy sigh. "Jack-"

"We shouldn't meet after this." He said suddenly.

"Say that again?" She took a step back from him and lifted his hand from her cheek.

His face fell. "I'm trying to justify this is my head Poppy, you've got to understand. I feel like we're starting to have this weird sorta touchy feely thing going on.." He desperately held out a hand for her. "And as much as I'd like to see where we can go with it, and trust me when I say that's the forefront of my mind, you don't even understand. But.."

"But." She took his hand hesitantly.

"But it's gonna end in heartbreak for both of us, you know that. I know you do."

A moment of silence settled between them. She held onto his fingers like if she let go he would disappear. Her breath came slow but shaking as she tried to picture life without the snow spirit. She couldn't do anything but focus on the thin skin at the base of his neck. All she could think about how much she wanted to kiss it, among other things.

"Come on. We've got to find that spell remember? That's what important now. We can figure out whatever this is later.. I mean maybe I'm being hasty." He gestured to the space between them with both of their hands.

"We could always just be happy for as long as we can and then figure things out later." She said desperately, still refusing desperately to meet his eyes, but she could sense the rigidness of his form loosen and a small smile lit his face.

"I- Yeah I guess we could do that. It would be easier huh? Easier than figuring the future out. Been a long time since I even kissed a girl, I might need some practice anyway." He was trying to joke, but it was tense and the half laugh he had attempted quickly tapered off. "Hey everything is okay. I'm sorry I brought it up."

She nodded, but looked down at their hands clasped together. His wind chapped skin was slightly rough, especially at his fingertips and knuckles where the wind would whip against the thin skin. Her fingertips traced the lines on the back of his fingers and palms and he shivered. She said nothing at first.

"Hey." He set his forehead on hers. She could practically feel her eyelashes frosting over as she tried to meet his crystal gaze. "Don't worry about it. We don't have to figure anything out right now. I didn't mean to bring it up, I'm just worried y'know?"

She didn't take her eyes off of his freezing hands.

"Come on." He urged quietly. "We've got work to do. There will be plenty of time to figure us out. I shouldn't have been so dramatic. I'm not gonna go anywhere unless of course we don't make it out of this."

Poppy nodded slowly. "Yes okay."

"Okay?"

She looked up slowly with a worried look on her face but nodded again. "As long as we're together Jack then we can figure it out later."

"That's more like it."

It couldn't have been more than ten minutes that they had been in the room together, and it took basically no time at all to find a decent book of spells. It had been bookmarked and laid out on the table almost for them. Jack flitted around the room, touching the spines of books and listening carefully to the hallway outside the door and occasionally leaning over Poppy's shoulder. She ran a hand through her short hair and let out along sigh.

She tapped the page in front of her. "This is it! We just a need a few things, some salt and some spring water. Maybe this is why the Council sent her away. She must have been trying to help you guys somehow, but they had her trapped here."

"You think so?"

"I know so!" She scanned the ingredients to the spell again before she snapped the book shut.

"You're so cute when you get excited." He grinned at her before taking a few long steps over to where she sat and hopping up on the desk beside her. He scooped her hands up into his carefully with another huge smile.

"Try and be serious." Poppy shook her head. She met his gaze as he gave her a breathy laugh. "But you know you're always glowing no matter what."

Another soft laugh bubbled out of his chest. His crystal eyes searched her face for a long moment before he leaned in a little closer to her. He ran one of his hands along her jaw line, his long fingers were slow and careful not to leave a trail of frost behind them. Finally, with another before he leaned his forehead against hers with a soft sigh. She looked up at him with a cautious flutter of her eyelids and her breath stuttered. Ice clung to his eyelashes and his pale eyebrows and she focused on them instead of looking at his lips. Anywhere but his lips. With his face so close, her breath came out in little clouds of mist. Her eyes betrayed her and she found his pale lips. Unable to keep herself in check, with shaking hands she raked her fingers up through his hair and pulled him closer to her.

"Jack please-"

"Anything you want-" He started at the same time.

The moment was shattered before their lips could touch as the door slammed open behind her. Jack grabbed her arm and pulled her behind his back in a rush as a skeletal form filled the negative space of the open door. He held out his staff protectively. The skeletal form gave them a bony smile and waved a hand in front of its face. "Now stop.'

Poppy's muscles froze in place tight to Jack's back.

"Jack I can't move." She closed her eyes and clutched his sweater in her fists.

"Just hold on tight to me, understand? Focus on me and nothing else Poppy."

The skeletal woman gave a grating laugh. "Children should not be sneaking where they don't belong. You're the ice boy from the basement, to be punished for your interactions with mortality. And what do we have here? This must be your mortal princess."

"Leave her out of this." Jack's voice was strained as he fought whatever magic held them fast to their places. "Tell me who are you?"

"Silence boy. I am Madame Patience." The skeletal woman took a step forward. Poppy tried to flinch but she couldn't move. "I have been pulled away from my duties to drag you before the council, Jack Frost. You have been interfering with mortality. You're too close to the source, as it were. What do you have to say for yourself."

Poppy fought against the hold on her body with everything she could muster. Patience was advancing towards Jack, and she couldn't lose him again. Not like she already almost had. By sheer force of will, she was able to move, but it felt like she was moving under water and her limbs were frozen. "Don't touch him." She shielded his body with hers and stared down the member of the Council with a fierce glare. She felt frozen again, with her back flush against him, but the hold did little to lessen her gaze. Her hand clutched his tightly still and her heart hammered in her chest. "I won't let you lay a finger on him."

Patience lifted her chin in Poppy's direction. "You love him."

"Careful." Jack warned near silently.

"Stay away from him." Her voice was strained as Patience narrowed her eyes and her fingers twitched, focusing her magic on the girl.

"How much do you love him." The spirit hissed. "Show me, hm?"

Poppy didn't move, or blink as the spirit waved a finger at her and she was dragged forward and away from Jack. She struggled against the force as she was ripped away from his cool hands.

Patience grabbed her chin and peered into her eyes. "You will have to wait for him. Patience in a virtue." She grinned wickedly.

With a wave of the woman's hand the world around her wavered. She tried to turn back to Jack but everything was fading and he last thing that she registered was a desperate shout from him.

"Poppy no!"


	8. Chapter 8

_A/N: I dont feel like editing this. ive been editing it down for like a month trying to make myself like this. im losing steam for this story but only because i feel like its starting to drag.. and i really only wrote out the beginning and then it got away from me quickly. Im still enjoying writing this but essentially i apologize for this lack of plot at all. hahahaha..haha...ah.. I dont care im deff in a place where i can write and post anything and just not care. ive titled it 'fanfiction nirvana'._

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Jack's desperate shout was the last thing she heard before, in a rush of cold, she was ripped from the room packed with books and dropped onto the cold floor of a forest. Disoriented and shaking she stood in a rush.

"Jack!" Her head was spinning as she shouted into the dark and wind chilled woods. Her fingertips dug into the icy bark of the tree she collapsed against. "Jack, help me!" The wind pulled her voice into the leafless branches. She shivered. Still clutched in her hands was the beaten up spell book from the room Pitch had told her was Mother Goose's library. If she could figure out where she was and how to get back to her frost spirit she could save him. "Anybody?" She whispered into the wind.

"Is there someone out there?" A voice shouted into the woods from somewhere behind her. A light at the edge of the trees bobbed along with a voice. A shadowy figure in the distance took a few long strides through the snow. "Hello?"

Poppy struggled to turn, but her spinning head made it near impossible. "I think I need help." Her voice was thin and her knees wobbled but she managed to focus in the direction of the voice.

"Hey! Hold on I see you. Just stand still for a second." A bobbing light in the distance rushed towards her. "Hey, come on let's get you somewhere warm. Can you focus?" A soft hand touched her neck and made her turn towards the face. The hands lifted hers after turning her face towards his and pulled her up from where she had fallen to the ground. "Can you walk? What're you doing out here by yourself?"

"I don't know, the last thing I remember..." She looked up into a pair of warm brown eyes. The face was unmistakably familiar, though the wrong colors all together. "Jack?" She breathed and clutched his hands tighter. Her knees wobbled again. "What are you doing here? What happened to you.." She looked him over with wide eyes.

His dark eyebrows practically hit his hairline. "You know my name? Have I met you before..? I'm so sorry how rude of me."

Poppy shook her head and looked down frantically. Her snow spirit was completely different, human and solid somehow. Her hands moved from his hands to the thick cloak draped over his shoulders. "Where are we Jack. Nothing makes sense."

He flinched. "I am so sorry, I don't know your name, but were gonna get you somewhere safe." He pulled off his cloak off and looked around before wrapping it around her shoulders. "Come on, we gotta warm you up or you're gonna be toast out here."

"Where are we?" She repeated again as Jack pulled her to her feet and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. "Jack, the last thing I knew we were in a room and there was this horrible skeletal woman and the others-"

He scowled. "I think you must have me confused with someone. I've been chopping firewood miles from any stone rooms. And you're in Burgess, is everything okay? You hit your head or something?" He set one of his slim hands on her forehead and gave her a concerned look over.

"Firewood." She muttered and pulled his cloak tighter around her shoulders. "I don't feel so good." She wobbled on her feet.

"No, no." He scooped her up onto his back. "We need to get you somewhere warm and then we'll figure you out. Tell me your name at least."

She wound her arms around his neck and held him close. A strong heart beat in his chest and he was warmer than what she was comfortable feeling from him, when she was used to be him being cold. "It's Poppy. My name's Poppy." Her voice shook with the cold.

He laughed. "What a pretty name. Alright Poppy, keep talking to me. Where did you come from? Not the woods I hope."

"I don't remember really. Everything is a blur."

"Well, you're safe now. I've got you." Jack shifted her around on his back in order to open the door to a creaky cabin at the edge of a darkened town. Through the chilled darkness, she could just make out the outlines of shadowy buildings. The small village disappeared as her rescuer closed the door as quietly as he could behind themm and set her down in front of a wood fire stove in the corner of the living space. "There you go. Everything's okay now." The brunette sat in front of her and folded up his long legs before pulling his cloak tighter around the girl's shoulders. "Tell me where you came from. Focus on my voice okay."

Poppy couldn't really answer. The young man in front of her was Jack, definitely Jack. The Jack she had saved only a few hours before from the fire of a similar stove. His slim frame was lit with the firelight as he studied her carefully. "I don't know exactly how I got here. I was with.. And then we were frozen.." She could hardly keep her eyes open. The room felt like it was spinning and everything was so cold.

"You just appeared in the woods, huh?" He ran a hand through his hair and then set his chin in his palm. "Sounds like something out of a storybook to me. Focus on my voice, the fire will warm you up in no time."

The firelight flickered in the dim cabin, but she listened to his voice and focused as ahrd as she could on the warmth. "She said I had to wait." Her voice was small as she buried her face into the cloak he had wrapped her in. "What do you think could it possibly mean. Wait for what? The answers have to be in this world somewhere." Her eyes shifted up to him.

The brunette in front of her smiled almost apologetically. "You know, you're not really making a lot of sense. Who said you have to wait? Can you tell me anything else? Just keep talking so you don't pass out okay?" His voice was soft and encouraging.

She clenched the book a little tighter to her chest. "I don't know how to describe it. We were in the library one minute and then the next.." She trailed off with a weak sigh. "And now your hair is all wrong." She reached out and touched the soft hair at his temple.

With a soft laugh, he took her hand from his hair. "You need to sleep or you're gonna be this crazy in the morning. You must have hit your head or something." He leaned in and checked both her eyes.

She tried hard to focus on his dark eyes, but she was distracted. The lights flickered a second time, unnaturally and obviously not just the fire light. Her eyes scanned the shadows of the cabin. "Something tells me I didn't."

"Hey are you okay? It's just the fire-"

"Can you hear me? Finally. It's taken me hours." Pitch's ghostly form took a half stumbling step from the shadows and his gold eyes fell on Poppy's. The whole world around her faltered then froze at his appearance and she turned her attention to him. "This is a dream, fabricated by that skeletal witch. Jack is in danger, as are the others. I am being threatened, how sickening is that. Me. As if they think they can sway me to take sides with some nightmare more than I can imagine. The situation is spiraling stupid girl. You must return to the Halls of the Council or even my magic won't be enough to stop them."

"But how." She whispered quickly. "How can I keep him safe from here? What can I do to stop the High Council? I'm just human."

"If you truly don't know, then there is no hope for us." His form wavered and he set one of his hands on the wall to balance himself. "I don't know how to help you, but I can offer you this. You have the book from the library, you will figure something out or your delicate snowflake will suffer for your stupidity."

Poppy hesitated. She stole a glance and the boy in front of her, who looked like Jack but wasn't. Or at least wasn't anymore. She loosened her hold on the book she had taken from Mother Goose's library. "This isn't real. So then there has to be a way to break the spell that that witch cast. There has to be a way to get back." She looked up to Pitch, who was staring at the wall of the cabin with a concerned look on his shadowed face. "Is that what you're saying?"

He looked to her urgently. "Use your head, stupid girl. And quickly please. They're going to force me into a position I'd rather avoid."

Poppy let out a breath and chewed on the inside of her cheek. "I have to find a spell, can you buy me some time? Please keep him safe. Keep them all safe." She hesitated. "Don't let anything happen to you either Pitch, you've helped us all so much. I'll figure something out, Jack is all that matters."

"It's not me you should be concerned for and mind you I can only do so much. Good luck." Pitch disappeared in another flicker and the world came back to life with a relieved sigh.

The dark haired boy in front of her shook his head and blinked away the strange pause that the Boogie Man's appearance had left in the small room. "What happened? That was weird. Hey, are you okay?" His deep brown eyes flickered to her after a quick glance around the room.

"Will you help me get home?" Her voice was shaky and she crawled towards him. The cloak he had draped around her shoulders swished around her hands. "Someone very close to me is in a lot of danger. I have this book full of spells." She fumbled with the book before she dropped it in his lap and with an exasperated breath, grabbed onto his hands and leaned towards his face. "You're the only one who can help me. Please."

His face flushed and he moved her a little further from his face with a cautious breath. "You don't have to beg, I promise. That really isn't necessary at all. I feel.. I feel like I know you from somewhere." He hesitated for a long time before he searched her face again. "Listen, you know I can help you better when the sun comes out. And my sister can help too. She's got a huge imagination. You said this book of yours has the answers?" His voice was whisper quiet and he tapped the cover with one of his fingers. "Then we don't have to worry at all. We have everything we need here already. We just need to gather it all together, don't worry you have me to help."

She nodded quickly. He had the same soft comforting soft voice as her snow spirit. "There's a binding spell, I found before I was sent here. It will keep the evil spirits bound up and stop them from hurting anyone else. I need it to save my friends. All we need spring water and salt and-"

"Hey slow down." The new dark haired Jack cut her off with a soft laugh. "You're not making any sense anymore, spirits and water.. You need to breathe between sentences usually How about this. Let me set you up a blanket and you can get some sleep. I promise we'll figure it out in the morning okay?" He stole a glance at the window. " Sun will be up in a few hours and we'll get everything you need to help your friends. They must be something special if you're going through all this for them." He met her gaze with a warm smile. "I've got your back."

She was touched. "Thank you."

"Jack are you still awake? Who are you talking to?" A girl's voice made them both turn. A girl with the same face and eyes as the brunette had crept into the living room. She rubbed at her eyes and looked up to the pair sitting in front of the wood stove. "Who're you?"

"Emma! This is Poppy!" Jack scrambled away from Poppy and scooped the little brunette into a tight hug. He spun her around quickly and nodded over to the girl wrapped in his cloak on the floor. He knelt behind the small girl with his arms wrapped around her middle and his chin on her shoulder. "I found her in the woods. She's a princess who needs our help to get back to her Prince Charming. An evil witch ripped them apart, isn't that terrible? You think you can help us make a spell that can get her back to him?"

The girl watched Poppy for a moment with her wide dark eyes. "A spell?" She asked hesitantly as she stole a glance out of the corner of her eye at her brother. "Are you a fairy princess or something?"

"Err.." She started.

"Yep! And isn't she pretty?" Jack grinned and poppy felt her face flush a bit. They exchanged a smile as he urged Emma forward. "And she's stuck here with us, isn't that sad? We have to get her back to her handsome prince so we can break the spell and get her wings back." He pulled his sister by the hand. He slipped behind Poppy next to lift her to her feet carefully with a bow. He smiled and nodded from one girl to the next. "It's a tragic story don't you think? But they deserve to live happily ever after. Do you think we can help them?"

Poppy looked between the two. They were having fun, playing a game to ease everyones minds and solve her problem. She felt her heart beat a little faster, she could see why Jack had been chosen to bring happiness to people all over the world. After a moment lost in thought, she let out a long dramatic sigh. "Alas!" She draped her arm over her forehead and closed her eyes. "If I cannot return to my Prince I'll never get my wings back. The witch was jealous of our love and sent me to this strange land alone. If only I could read the words in this spell book I stole from the witch before she sent me to this strange land. I can only read fairy. Can you read this strange human language for me?" She opened one of her eyes to find the girl creeping towards her.

"Are you really a fairy?" Emma whispered before turning down to the book clutched in her hands. "I can read really well. Jack taught me. Do you think I can look at your spell book? Maybe I can find a way to get you back to your prince."

Poppy exchanged a look with the dark haired boy, who nodded enthusiastically. She fell to her knees in front of the girl and clasped her hands together. "Oh thank you. How can I ever repay you? What a gracious little human girl." She pulled the girl into a tight hug.

Emma hesitated. "You can pay me back by kissing your prince when you get back to him. That's how all the stories end. And you only fight this hard for someone you love isn't that right Jack? That's what happens in all the stories you read me."

Jack only laughed as Poppy gave him a flustered smile of gratitude. She mouthed a thank you, to which he returned a half bow. His kid sister stole a glance between the two of them.

The brunette cleared his throat and took a few steps forward before squatting down at their side. "Well what d'ya say, fairy princess." The way a half smile lit his dark face made her breath hitch in her throat. He was so much like Jack and yet nothing like him at all. With a dramatic sweep of his hands he let out a laugh. "Will you accept our help with that book of yours so that we can return to your Prince?" His thin hands motioned to the book clutched tightly against her chest.

"Yes I will." Her voice was whisper quiet but heavy with gratitude.

"And you'll kiss your prince for your happy ending?" Emma pulled the book from Poppy's hands.

"Yeah. Yeah, sure a happy ending."

She stole one last glance up at the boy, who had knelt down on the floor beside them, with a huge warm smile. The words from her snow prince rang through her head suddenly. There was no happy ending to be had between a human and an immortal snow spirit. Emma sat on the ground, and pulled her with her onto the rug before the fireplace. She started flipping through the book, babbling about how to read the spells. Her dark eyes turned back to Jack's doppelganger. She tried to remember what he had told her about his life before he had been chosen. He had mentioned a sister, but he had failed to describe himself. She hadn't really asked, it hadn't really mattered at the time. She was kicking herself for that now. The dark haired young man seemed to sense her apprehensions and took the space on the floor beside her. His hand slipped into hers easily and he smiled before he turned his attention back to his sister to ease the tension.

Pitch had said this was a dream, nothing but a spell. If it was a projection of the past that was all it was. She relaxed a little more and closed her eyes as the siblings readied her a bed in the corner of the space. When Emma disappeared off to bed with Poppy's spell book, Jack set a hand on her shoulder.

"We'll figure this out together okay? I'll be here with you every step of the way." He smiled softly. "Sweet dreams."

"Thank you." Was all she could manage as he too disappeared to the back of the small home.

As soon as the sun rose Emma and Jack led her into the woods. Poppy had let the young girl hold onto the spell book to read and she rushed to get all of the items they would need to bind the spirits of the high council in a bottle she had taken from the kitchen of their cabin. The bottom most layer was salt, fresh as the spell called for. Then spring water, some sage, some twigs and from a barren blackberry bush, and a few stones from the bottom of a stream.

All the while the young girl was speaking excitedly about the stories Jack had told her over the last couple of days. Poppy walked quietly beside him with her arm tucked around his elbow with a polite, if not tight smile as she considered her options for the next short amount of time. The complicated part of the spell would be to find something of value to give up. The sacrifice would bind the spirits forever and that was something that she would need to figure out on her own. It was buzzing in her mind. It would have to be her belief, but in giving it up she would lose Jack forever. She tripped over a rock and the brunette at her side caught her quickly.

"You with me?" He leaned towards her.

"Yeah, sorry. Yeah. I just have a lot on my mind."

He nodded, stole a glance at where his sister had stopped at a leafy push to pull a few red berries off. "Whatever your going through where you came from? Its gonna be okay. You and your prince charming are gonna get your happily ever after."

Poppy tried to smile. She knew that a happily ever after wasn't likely and she also knew that the smile didn't quite reach her eyes, but Jack didn't catch it. He had rushed off when Ema had called his name and pointed excitedly to the book. The young girl had found a teleportation spell in the book which she was incredibly excited about that would get Poppy back home. It would be fueled by the need to help someone important and she just needed a few herbs and flowers to get her back to her winter spirit. It seemed almost too easy but Emma insisted the power of true love always won out in the end.

Poppy continued her charade as a fairy princess for the young girl, which seemed to make Jack happy. He played as a knight, who had come to her rescue. He held her hand easily and ith a huge smile on his face, which only reminded her how much she needed to get back to her own time and her Jack. The young girl was practically buzzing with excitement about the spells and she hadn't stopped asking about the prince Poppy had left behind. She tried her best to answer all the young girl's questions, about the fairy realm and about her prince but it was hard to keep up the charade. The brunette Jack from the past noticed her fatigue with the relentless questions and silenced the girl with a cautious word.

"Come on Emma, she's already tired enough as it is. She doesn't have any of her magic or anything." His hand left hers and he rushed towards his sister. "Give it a break and let's get some lunch."

As the sun hit the highest point in the sky they returned to the cabin with everything they needed to complete the spells. They had lunch together in the soft grass beside a huge tree. Poppy couldn't keep her eyes off of this version of Jack and his brown eyes lit every time they turned to her. Emma was still talking about the spell book as her small hands loaded the items for the binding spell into a small box she had grabbed from inside for her all before she set to work laying out the teleportation spell on the ground as the book instructed.

Poppy turned to Jack. She hesitated and then set a hand on his. "Thank you. From the bottom of my heart."

"Hey don't worry about it." He grinned. "But you should thank Emma too." He paused. "And you know whoever you're trying to get back to, I hope you can you know. Get a happily ever after."

"Yeah me too." She managed to whisper.

"Finished." Emma rushed back to their sides. "The spell is laid out exactly as it shows in your spell book your highness." She passed the leather bound book and the bag full of bottles and hers and spring water back to her before turning to her brother. "Time to send her back right? For her happily ever after."

Jack nodded and stood up. He offered his hands Poppy, who took them and let him pull her up to her feet.

"I guess this." He paused and smiled. "This is goodbye for now." He winked at her and led her towards the ring of salt on the ground. "Go save your prince okay."

When his hands slipped out of hers and she was alone in the circle in the grass. It was winter but the sun was shining brightly. She hesitated and wrapped her hands around one another. She slipped the bag over her shoulder with a rattle of bottles. "Thank you for all your help, the both of you. I don't know how I'll ever ever repay either of you." Poppy could only think of Jack now. She was so close. Her hands were clenched together so tightly her knuckles were white. She was only thinking of his eyes now.

Emma crossed her arms over her chest. "Kiss your prince when you get back to him. Tell him what you've done to get back to him. Then you can live happily ever after."

"Don't be pushy." Jack scolded lightly before he pulled Emma back by the shoulder. He met Poppy's eyes with a bright smile. "I hope you travel safely. And maybe we'll see each other again someday."

Poppy smiled. "I know we will."

Emma sprinkled the water from a bottle onto the ring of salt they had laid out around her and Poppy kept her mind on Jack, his white hair and blue eyes and in a flash she was back in the halls of the High Council. It was disorienting and she was immediately light headed and nauseous. She leant up against the wall with a groan. Her head was pounding. She just had to get to Jack as fast as she could. With shaking hands, she clutched the bag of ingredients and the binding spell tightly in her hands. Her eyes were wide and she looked wildly around the get her bearings, but the non-descript hallway was incredibly unhelpful. She turned to a shadowed corner and let out a breath.

"Pitch. Please help me find Jack." After a moment of silence passed she shook her head, she was exhausted and out of ideas. She felt like there was no creativity left in her but there was so much left to do. She was worried about Jack and she wanted to go home. More specifically she wanted to go home with Jack and never let go of him again. "Can you hear me, please Pitch I need your help now more than ever." She turned and looked back over her shoulder as her voice bounced off the sides of the hallway but nothing else happened. "Please."

The shadows wavered once and then the nightmare king emerged into the hallway. Pitch eyed her with disinterest and let out a long breath through his nose. "Well done little mouse. I only briefly doubted you. You've been gone for days, I didn't think you would ever come back for your little snowflake-"

"Take this." She interrupted his lazy drawl and shoved a tiny bottle into his skeletal hands. She had no idea how much time had passed and she didn't want to know, didn't want to know how long Jack had been subjected to the Councils brand of justice. "This is for helping me. For helping Jack, no matter how reluctantly. Very bit was appreciated so much."

"And what might this be, hm?" His monotonous voice piqued with interest as he raised the bottle to examine its contents with his yellow eyes.

"One spell, to break another."

"You're going to trust me with something like this?" Though his expression remained neutral, his voice betrayed some level of interest. "Do you have any idea what I'm capable in my true form? I was locked up for a reason, you must know this."

"Yes and yes. Consider it an act of good faith." She clenched her jaw and let out a nervous breath. He had threatened her but she chose to ignore it. "You deserve at least a chance after what you've done so far. You've come whenever I asked and you've helped us so far." She hesitated. "And you haven't given me a reason not to trust you but I can't help but feel like you might."

He laughed under his breath. "Well, I suspect so. I am the Boogieman, after all." He held out his hand and the tiny bottle disappeared in a little swirl of black sand.

Poppy set her teeth on her bottom lip. "Do you know where Jack is now?"

A strange look passed over his face but before he could answer, a wispy breath interrupted their conversation. She took a half step towards him, clutching the bag of bottles and spells to her chest. He half scoffed but held out an arm to block her in a sort of almost defense that didn't quite mean anything. Poppy could almost sense he wouldn't be able to fight but the motion was meant to comfort her. It wasn't working.

"You've returned human child." A tall robed figure crept delicately from the other end of

the hallway. She had obviously been there a while, and was almost completely covered in flowing robes and shadows but a pair of delicate, feminine hands floated out of her robes and seemed to be followed by a dark shadowy magic. "Why you are so persistent is beyond me. I suppose it has something to do with that human heart of yours. It'll be the death of you." She continued to creep towards Poppy, who took another half step backwards.

"Let me through." Poppy tried to sound confident, but her voice wavered. "I don't have time for this. I need to-"

"You need to help Jack Frost. You're becoming predictable human girl. If you're going to remain here you must fight harder to hold my interest." The hands waved in a circle in front of her chest and the black magic solidified into a silver mirror. It was perfectly round, with no frame or embellishments. "I don't think I will let you through though. Tell me again why you wish to pass. I feed on misery." The woman was almost hissing at the end and Poppy shivered.

"Don't look her in the eyes or that mirror if you wish to live. Run run little mouse and meet me at my cell. I can't help you here." Pitch's form wavered before it disappeared and Poppy faced the spirit alone in the hallway.

The girl stuffed the small bag of spells into the deep pocket of her wool coat with shaking hands. She tried to puff out her chest at the spirit, but her whole body was weak. All she could think of was Jack, saving him was everything. "Who are you?" Her voice was breathy but held a constant tone and she managed to sound somewhat confident. Her hands pulled into fists and she set her jaw.

"Call me Truth child." One of her hands pulled on her hood to reveal her face. She appeared to be young, and she had huge, empty silver eyes. Her thick hair was woven into a careful braid pulled over her shoulder, with single strands of bright grey wound around and through it. "I have come to collect you for Justice, despite Patience's best effort it seems you've returned to our halls and I regret to inform you, everyone is quite done dealing with you." Her voice was lazy and slow. "He requests you stop prying and appear before the Council. Mortality and belief and all that, I'm sure you've heard it all from my colleagues." She paused as Poppy's clenched her jaw.

"I'm not going anywhere with you." She said with a certain level of resolve. Pitch's words were echoing lightly at the back of her head. Don't look in the woman's eyes or her mirror. Her eyes settled on the floor and her hands were clenched in tight fists at her sides. In a rush of air the woman was before her. Her dark flowing robes brushed against Poppy's arms and she desperately fought to keep her eyes on the ground beneath her boots.

"Warned you about my eyes did he?" Truth's voice hissed. "Would you like to know why you shouldn't look?" She paused and when the girl didn't answer she touched her chin with her long fingers. "My eyes will reveal to you the horrible truth of yourself. My mirror absorbs the energy of your failures. I can practically smell the doubt on you."

"I'm not going anywhere." Her voice wavered but she remained firm.

Thin fingers pulled on Poppy's jaw and she forced her eyes closed as the spirit's breath hit her face. She laughed a breathy and taunting laugh. "You fight so hard for so little. You already know the truth so why avoid my gaze. Your hero's are scattered, banished by one of Honor's spells. Did you know that? They won't be able to come back for a long time, what do you think of that?"

Poppy kept her eyes shut despite the threat.

Truth laughed again. "The spirit you're fighting for has already lost. He goes before the Council soon you know. He's chained and shackled and for all this trouble you've caused we'll have you watch him suffer-"

"Don't you dare hurt him." Her mossy eyes opened as she cut the spirit off fiercely. As soon as she met the silvery gaze of the grinning spirit, she felt her body's energy drain and the milky color of the eyes cleared up to reflect her own eyes back at her. The hallway around them faltered, and from the corners of her eyes she could see bits of the forest where she had first met Jack.

"Your truth is you love a spirit who can never be yours, he belongs to the wind and the snow and you know where your story ends. You'll fight and lose and in the end you'll be as mortal as ever." Her voice was hissy and low. "Your truth is you believe in magic you have no business clinging to. You wonder whether the things you see are real at all, don't you."

Poppy's gaze was drawn to the mirror clutched in Truth's hands. Her worst fears were projected to her. Jack dying, blood and ice was thick over his hands and face, the result of her own failures. Mortality had no place in his world, the world she'd stumbled into by following Jack. A rush of pain consumed her as a light flowed out of her eyes, nose and mouth and into the woman's mirror. She felt her knees growing weak and her hands were shaking as a gasping sob escaped her. "Please stop." Was all she could manage to say

"You don't know the powers you're dealing with child. I almost feel apologetic, your truth is truly tragic, but such is the way of things. Now Honor dear, carry her for me wont you?" Truth's voice was echoing and distant as if she was underwater and far away.

Poppy fell back into a pair of huge hands. She could barely focus on the growling above her. There was light still flooding out of her eyes and her body was burning like she had letting out a breath for too long.

"You've meddled enough, now it is time to face your fate." A deep voice was at her ear as she was lifted off the ground. "You have fought well though none of it matters. We will take you to your snow spirit, if it is even just to say goodbye."

She struggled briefly, but her vision was going spotty. Honor was holding her roughly in his huge plated hands. Truth turned lightly on her feet and with a sweep of her hands, the mirror was gone and the hood covered her face. She was tossed over Honor's shoulder with a groan before the world around her went black again.


End file.
